Who is running for Oklahoma County District 3 commissioner? Your guide to the candidates.

Oklahoma County District 3 residents will select a candidate to succeed Commissioner Kevin Calvey, who is running for district attorney. Myles Davidson and Cathy Cummings will face off Nov. 8 to fill the seat. Both candidates have extensive experience in government at different levels.

Myles Davidson

Age: 47

Born: Choctaw

Education: University of Oklahoma

Experience: 14 years overall as an Oklahoma County employee, current chief deputy commissioner for District 3.

Cathy Cummings

Age: 61

Born: Kansas City, Missouri

Education: Central Missouri State University

Experience: Former city councilwoman and mayor of The Village. Business owner.

Related:Are you ready for the general election? What to know before Nov. 8 voting in Oklahoma

The Oklahoman asked both candidates a series of questions about their reasons for running and plans for Oklahoma County. Candidate answers may be edited for clarity and length.

Why are you running for county commissioner?

Davidson: The primary motivation for me running is to continue doing the work that I've done over the past 14 years. Bringing us to the point where we can, thanks to the voters, build a new jail. Bringing us forward with our road infrastructure.

Cummings: Really, my goal is to help as many people as I can and make their lives better. If I can affect people’s lives like that, then that's what I want to do.

What is the biggest problem facing Oklahoma County?

Davidson: The county jail and finding ways to bridge financial gaps. I think the issue is the same with people’s home finances as it is with the government. It’s never having enough finances to do what you need to get done. Oklahoma County is $70 million behind in infrastructure funding for roads and bridges to get to what we’ll call ground zero.

Cummings: The jail is important to me and I think it's important to a lot of people, but it's not their main concern. They just want their roads to be safe, they want county services to go smoothly, they want to be able to feel safe in their neighborhoods. And I feel all those as well, but I would like to see something done with our county jail. I know that the voters voted to build a new jail and that's all well and fine and I look forward to that new facility. But what do we do in the meantime?

What will your priority be, if elected?

Davidson: The opportunity to spend a couple of million dollars rehabbing the former social services building to be able to contract with one of these Daily Living Centers and be able to service eastern Oklahoma County for kids that are developmentally disabled or veterans, or respite care or any of this transitional stuff that we need that we don’t have out there. I think we have the ability and should look at building satellite crisis intervention centers that leave the mental health type individuals out of the jail. Increasing the diversionary programs for a lot of that stuff will also help keep the (jail) population lower.

Cummings: What I would really like to do is sit down and collaborate with people who have some expertise and can come up with solutions for the jail. I don't think there's adequately trained staff at the jail. I don't know what the right answer is, but I know the management we have right now is failing and I think we need new management from the top down.

Why are you the best person for the job?

Davidson: Well, 14 years of experience, but it’s knowledge based, it’s connection based. It's the knowledge of being able to know who to go to, when to go to them, what to ask for and how to get what we're asking for. Being able to pull together partnerships between federal entities, municipalities and the county to complete projects. That's a lot to juggle.

Cummings: Being experienced in business — I think having that economic background is vital to be able to be fiscally responsible with the county’s money. I think my background with (The Village) city council and being mayor and having that experience of dealing with multi-million dollar budgets, dealing with roads and big contracts for major infrastructure projects and sewage and drainage and dealing with people one-on-one. People need to be listened to with a little empathy and compassion, and whether I want to hear it or not, it's still my job to listen and I'm a good listener. My experience and my willingness are my strongest attributes.

What else would you say to voters ahead of the election?

Davidson: With the recent voter approval to build a new jail, it is more important than ever to elect a county commissioner who has expertise already developed from operating within the government funding compliance framework. With my experience and working relationships within all levels of Oklahoma government, I have been delivering major infrastructure projects for Oklahoma County residents for 14 years. I have been and will continue to be a watchdog to ensure the job is done right, our budgets are transparent to the people, and we deliver quality results for our investment. With your vote, I will put my expertise to work for the constituents, to build stronger, safer communities for Oklahoma County families.

Cummings: Vote early, if they can get an absentee ballot. I think we need to get as many people to the polls as possible. I think it’s people’s civic duty if they want change. I feel like I bring a fresh set of eyes, which is also very important. I look at something quite differently than the people that have been there for a very long time. I think that voters need to get out and vote, and it doesn't matter what political background you are, we just need to turn out way better than the primaries.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: These are the candidates for District 3 Oklahoma County commissioner