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With the filing deadline reached, one of these 18 candidates will be Tulsa's new mayor.
So the filing deadline (July 15) has passed and the roster is set. One of these 18 (yes, 18!) people will be the next mayor of our fair city.
For those keeping count, there are five Democrats, three Independents and 10 Republicans.
The candidates are:
- Democrats: Robert Gwin, Paul Tay, A. Burns, Prophet Clark and Tom Adelson.
- Independents: Cleon Burrell, Lawrence Kirkpatrick and Mark Perkins.
- Republicans: David O'Connor, Dewey Bartlett, Paul Roales, Michael Tomes, Norris Streetman, Kevin Boggs, Chris Medlock, John Todd, Nathaniel Booth and Anna Falling.
I have previously stated in this column that I believe it will end up being Tom Adelson (D) versus Dewey Bartlett (R). Looking at this final list only confirms that belief. But I could be wrong. It happens all the time. If anyone’s going to throw a monkey wrench into my prediction, I would put my money on Chris Medlock (R). Of all the candidates, he may have the most local name recognition (he’s a talk show host) and might be able to grab onto some kind of zeitgeist or backlash against the Tulsa establishment, which has always been more about power and tradition than about liberal or conservative. So if it ends up being Adelson versus Medlock, don’t be surprised.
The sad thing, and the thing that bothers me most, is that while I am fairly certain about the outcome of the primaries, I have no certainty about the actual politicians. I just know that the best thing you can have going for you in Tulsa politics is a name. Of these 18 candidates, there are maybe four or five people at most with whom the average Tulsa resident is familiar. But that does not, I repeat, does not mean that the “name” candidates are any better or more competent than their lesser-known counterparts.
But better or worse never really seems to enter into the dialogue. It’s usually more about, more money versus less money and/or known versus unknown.
We have an opportunity to ask the questions that need to be asked. If we choose to let them go unanswered, that is our fault. In the end, we get the leaders we deserve.
So the question is ...
What do we deserve?
