Republican Stephen McClellan is running for Cleveland County Judge, leveraging his extensive background in emergency management. Having secured over $5 million in past grants for infrastructure and public safety, McClellan emphasizes aggressive grant acquisition to improve roads and broadband.

He identifies population loss—dropping from roughly 8,900 to 7,300 residents—and a rising median age of 44 as critical long-term threats. To combat this, he proposes youth engagement programs and local economic incentives. His platform also includes increasing transparency via regular road reports, sourcing local gravel to cut costs, and maintaining the county’s $1.6 million investment fund for fiscal stability.