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Jeff Martin shares his thoughts about Tulsa's upcoming mayoral election.
So we are almost exactly five months away from electing a new mayor in the city of Tulsa.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, is rapidly approaching, and the primary, set for Sept. 8, is right around the corner. In a world where most politicians begin their re-election strategy the day after getting elected and presidential campaigns go on for years, we are witnessing something of a throwback in old T-Town. Because things weren’t always like this.
For example, John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for president Jan. 2, 1960. In November of that same year, he won. For the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama announced his intention to run Feb. 10, 2007, nearly two full years before the election. John McCain didn’t wait much longer, letting the cat out of the bag April 25.
Now, let’s be clear: Mayoral campaigns are almost always shorter than those for national office. When Kathy Taylor threw her hat into the ring for the 2006 election, she had even less time to knock on doors and shake hands. Maybe this year just feels different. After all, perception is often more relevant than reality. I was certainly surprised by the mayor’s decision not to seek re-election. This is usually a tactic used by politicians when polling and internal chatter suggest a win is out of reach. Think Lyndon Johnson in 1968; that would have been an uphill climb, to put it mildly.
A win for Mayor Taylor certainly wouldn’t have been a guarantee, but I think she would have had the advantage that usually goes along with being the incumbent. But, alas, we will never know.
It is this humble columnist’s opinion that the names we’ll see on that Nov. 10 ballot will be ...
Dewey Bartlett Jr.(R) vs. Sen. Tom Adelson(D)
These two have a history. They went head-to-head in the run for state senator in 2004 with Adelson winning by less than 1,000 votes and nearly a million dollars spent between them.
I can only hope this year’s run will be every bit as interesting. Politics as bloodsport. For me, it doesn’t get much better than that.
