2013 Tulsa Mayor Election

[Maxwell]

With Former Mayor Kathy Taylor (a Democrat) in the race and Former City Councilor Bill Christiansen (a Republican), things really don't look good for the incumbent mayor Dewey Bartlett. Especially since they've adopted new, non-partisan mayoral elections, so if anyone comes out with over 50% out right, they're the mayor. While I don't think Taylor will get over 50, she's proven she's a decent enough campaigner (I mean, she beat a Lafortune for god sake) to where she is a serious force, and I don't think Bartlett is up to the job if other Republicans are already stepping up to the plate to challenge him.

This is a list, as published by the Tulsa World, of the possible candidates who might or have already made a jump into the race. I'm stuck between Bartlett and Proctor. Proctor is definitely someone who could walk in Brad Henry's shoes as a great Democrat for Oklahoma. My big problem with Kathy Taylor is that she abandoned the post in 2009 because "she wanted to deal with the budget crisis" when she knows the Democrat that ran in her place lost by double digits. Considering the environment at the time, she probably would've done worse even with the money.

Tulsa World Poll (Margin of Error: +/- 6):
Mayor Dewey Bartlett (R): 24%
Former Mayor Kathy Taylor (D): 22%
Former City Councilman Bill Christensen (R): 11%
Former State House Rep Lucky Lamons (D): 5%
Businesswoman Sharon King Daivs: 5%
Planning Comission Member Bill Leighty: 1%
Undecided: 32%

Bartlett is hovering above water with 51% Approval and 31% Disapporoval, which isn't terrible, but actually its much worse than the same point in Bill Lafortunes (58-37) tenure when he went on to lose to Kathy Taylor by 6 points. It's also worse than Taylor's (61-32) before she decided not to run again.

At the same time though, he's improving. For a really long time, Mayor Bartlett was underwater. If he's improving that means he still has a shot at re-election, unlike Lafortune, who was declining due to constant struggles with the police department and the city council, situations that have improved under both Taylor and Bartlett.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Also, I think Lafortune removed a giant globe at the Tulsa Zoo because some Tea Party types complained that it was a pagan symbol. That didn't exactly help Lafortune.

[Maxwell]

Also, I think Lafortune removed a giant globe at the Tulsa Zoo because some Tea Party types complained that it was a pagan symbol. That didn't exactly help Lafortune.

Yeah he did some of the overzealous appeal to the religious nuts in our town, but I think it did hurt him in the long run. However, that wasn't as big a deal as his general not being able to work with the police department and his issues with the awful city council at the time. He was mayor out of family history rather than mayor of his own merits and it kind of showed throughout his term.

On Bartlett's plus column, I don't think he's been nearly as generous to that same crowd, mainly because, despite also being Mayor through family lineage, I think he's serious about the job and not just serious about which supporters where are supporting him.