District 3 County Commissioner and Edmond resident Ray Vaughn, announced Friday that he will not be seeking re-election of his Commissioner seat, but will instead retire at the end of his term.
Vaughn has endorsed his Chief Deputy, Rick Buchanan, also a longtime Edmond resident, as his replacement.
“It has been a great honor to have represented Edmond for 16 years in the House of Representatives along with what will be my 12 years of service to District 3 at Oklahoma County,” said Vaughn.
“In times like this, continuity at the county level is important. We have too many reforms in place that are important to fixing our jail or on the drawing board. Rick is the perfect person for the job. He has been working along side me on the budget board to ensure that taxpayers money is spent conservatively and effectively. While I will miss public service, I am confident that Rick Buchanan is an excellent choice to replace me as County Commissioner. His experience, his knowledge of county government is superior,” said Vaughn.
Buchanan, who has lived in Edmond since 1993, previously served as Press Secretary to Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating and worked in the campaigns of Congressman J.C. Watts as his campaign spokesman for two races.
Buchanan has worked at Oklahoma County since 2005 and has worked for the County Clerk, County Treasurer and in Vaughn’s office since 2007.
“It is a honor for me to be endorsed by several outstanding public servants for this race, including Commissioner Vaughn and Governor Keating,” Buchanan said. “I look forward to serving the citizens of District 3.”
Buchanan has been endorsed by several other elected officials including County Treasurer Butch Freeman, County Sheriff P.D. Taylor, County Commissioner Willa Johnson, and State Representative Mike Osburn of Edmond. Buchanan has also received the endorsements of several former elected officials with ties to Oklahoma County government, along with dozens of other notable citizens.
