Nelson switches to Wichita Falls City Council at-large race

A twist has occurred as Wichita Falls enters the final week for residents to file for elected office.

Larry Nelson, the incumbent councilor in District 2, has filed for election — but not in District 2.

Instead, Nelson has filed to run for the councilor-at-large seat that is also open. That pits him against political newcomer Austin Cobb, who has amassed the largest war chest of any candidate so far in the Nov. 5 municipal elections.

In a campaign finance report filed July 15, Cobb reported raking in $13,550 in contributions and spending $8,816 on his campaign.

For the same reporting period Nelson reported no contributions and no expenditures.

“It ain’t about money all the time,” he said.

Nelson said he made the switch because, “that’s the American dream. When I was District 2, I made a lot of effective changes. When I run at-large I can make it more effective. I’ve got a lot of connections in Washington, and there’s a lot of other things I’ve done downtown.”

The switch by Nelson means as of Monday, no candidates were running for District 2, which represents parts of the central and eastern parts of the city.

Nelson said he had talked to a couple of people who have expressed interest in running.

Candidates have until Aug. 19 to file for city offices.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Nelson switches to Wichita Falls City Council at-large race