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Matthew Olsen
Matthew Olsen was a candidate for Ward 3 representative on the Oklahoma City Council in Oklahoma. He was defeated in the primary election on February 14, 2017. Click here to read Olsen's response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey.
Although city council elections in Oklahoma City are officially nonpartisan, Olsen identified as Democratic, independent, and progressive at the time of his 2017 candidacy.[1]
Biography
Olsen earned his B.S. in sociology. As of his 2017 run for city council, he was working toward a master's degree in leadership.[1]
Olsen's professional experience includes work in case management and as a local restaurant director.[1]
Elections
2017
The city of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, held a primary election for city council on February 14, 2017. A general election was scheduled for April 4, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was December 7, 2016.
The city council seats in Wards 1, 3, 4, and 7 were up for election in the February primary. Incumbents ran for re-election in every ward except for Ward 4. Ward 4 incumbent Pete White announced his intention to retire from the council in November 2016.[2][3] Incumbent Larry McAtee defeated Matthew Olsen and Joe Nelson in the primary election for the Ward 3 seat on the Oklahoma City Council.[4]
| Oklahoma City Council, Ward 3 Primary Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Larry McAtee Incumbent |
51.74% | 1,114 |
| Matthew Olsen | 35.86% | 772 |
| Joe Nelson | 12.40% | 267 |
| Total Votes | 2,153 | |
| Source: Oklahoma State Election Board, "Official Results," accessed March 4, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2017
Olsen participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ |
Being an actual voice for the citizens instead of voting in favor of special interest groups.[1][5] |
” |
When asked what he would most like to change about the city, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ |
Establishing a livable minimum wage to enjoy the city in which we all live.[1][5] |
” |
When asked what he is most proud of about the city, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ |
The progress we've made over the last ten years. Now it's time to push some of the progress from downtown to other, less tended-to areas of the city.[1][5] |
” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| K-12 education | |
| Civil rights | |
| Crime reduction/prevention | |
| Homelessness | |
| Government transparency | |
| Recreational opportunities | |
| Environment | |
| City services (trash, utilities, etc.) | |
| Public pensions/retirement funds | |
| Housing | |
| Unemployment | |
| NA | |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer four questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| Local | |
| Public outreach/education programs | |
| Instituting a citywide minimum wage |
The candidate was asked to answer three questions from Ballotpedia regarding specific issues facing Oklahoma City in 2017. This section displays the questions and the candidate's responses.
Q1: Sales tax revenue in Oklahoma City has declined recently. How, if at all, do you think the city should respond to the decline in revenue?
| “ |
We should stop the corporate subsidies and place the money toward things that our citizens actually care about: education, infrastructure, safety, and revitalization.[1][5] |
” |
Q2: A general obligation bond package will go before Oklahoma City voters in September 2017. Which projects, if any, do you think should be included in the bond package?
| “ |
In our ward, the voters have been very vocal about the need to focus on the part of town in which we live. This includes many repairs to roads, parks, reliable public transportation, and ensuring safety.[1][5] |
” |
Q3: Would you favor increasing the property tax rate to fund more bond projects?
Not sure[1]
Additional themes
On his 2017 campaign Facebook page, Olsen said:[6]
| “ |
As a member of the Ward 3 community, I have no ties to corporate oil. I love downtown OKC, but we need to revitalize ward 3. I am NOT a politician and plan to work for City Council as a way to give voice to those in our community. As a progressive/moderate, I will always listen to your voices and represent your views.[5] |
” |
Olsen's campaign Facebook page also included the following pledge:[7]
| “ |
As a candidate for Oklahoma City Ward 3, I, Matthew W Olsen, endorse the purpose of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws to ensure and facilitate the public's understanding of governmental processes and problems. Therefore, I pledge to support at every opportunity the public policy of the State of Oklahoma that the people are vested with the inherent right to know and be fully informed about their government so that they can efficiently and intelligently exercise their inherent political power. Specifically, I pledge that I and the public bodies that I am elected to govern will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws.[5] |
” |
See also
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
External links
- Oklahoma City Council
- Social media
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Matthew Olsen's Responses," February 7, 2017
- ↑ City of Oklahoma City, "Upcoming Elections," accessed December 21, 2016
- ↑ NewsOK, "Ward 4 Oklahoma City Councilman Pete White to Retire," November 25, 2016
- ↑ The City of Oklahoma City, "2017 Council Elections," accessed January 26, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Facebook, "Matthew Olsen for Ward 3 on December 1, 2016," accessed January 5, 2017
- ↑ Facebook, "Matthew Olsen for Ward 3 on January 2, 2017," accessed January 5, 2017
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