City Council Elections 2008

[RecycleMichael]

Here is the latest list, courtesy of the Tulsa World.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080106_1_A1_spanc17785

All but one councilor seek return

By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
1/6/2008

Cason Carter is the only Tulsa city councilor who won't be seeking re-election this spring. Instead, he has his eye on the open seat in state Senate District 35, which Jim Williamson will be vacating because of legislative term limits. The remaining eight councilors and City Auditor Phil Wood have all confirmed their re-election bids. So far, only two councilors have drawn challengers, while Carter's open seat in District 9 has one announced candidate.

The three-day filing period for the municipal elections begins Jan. 14. The nine council seats and the auditor's post have two-year terms. The primary election is set for March 4 and general election will be April 1. The mayor's term is four years and will be up in 2010. Mayor Kathy Taylor has already said she will seek another term.

District 9: Carter said he is not seeking re-election because he thinks the state Capitol is a place where he has an opportunity to not only represent Tulsa's interests, but the state as a whole in helping to build the economy, the educational system and family values. District 9 Republican candidate G.T. Bynum has never run for office but has a background in politics on a national level with six years of experience working in the U.S. Senate for Don Nickles and Tom Coburn.

After re-entering the private sector, Bynum said, "You don't really have an appreciation for what an impact government makes until you're working in the business community." It also wasn't until he helped his cousin, former Mayor Bill LaFortune, get elected that Bynum said he realized the immediate impact local government can make on people's lives. Bynum said he thinks there needs to be a greater focus on government oversight.

District 8: Republican Councilor Bill Christiansen is seeking his fourth term. He said he wants to continue finding ways to use taxpayer dollars more efficiently and reduce city expenditures. He said his policies concerning city vehicles have saved "untold thousands of dollars." "I've always tried to be an extreme fiscal conservative and let the bureaucrats know that we need to save as much money at every turn of the road," he said. "I want to be around to continue that."

District 7: Republican Councilor John Eagleton is seeking a second term because he thinks he has proven he has served well. "I know that I've saved lives and I've saved money," he said of his efforts to enhance traffic enforcement. Eagleton said the enhanced traffic enforcement will ultimately pay for itself and for additional police officers. Eagleton said he also wants to continue to work on setting up a trust to pay for future maintenance of the BOK Center and research whether the city has land from which it can draw gas and oil for revenue.

District 6: Democrat Dennis Troyer is seeking a second term to continue development efforts in his district. Troyer said he believes he has been successful in building relationships with businesses and neighborhood associations to help them resolve issues. He said some highlights during his term were helping with the development of Eastgate Metroplex and getting a "social host" ordinance approved, which makes it illegal for residents to provide alcohol to persons under the legal drinking age.

District 5: Republican Bill Martinson announced last week that he would seek re-election. "Basically, we have runners on base and I want to get them across the plate," he said. Martinson is leading a comprehensive, long-term plan for streets. Voters will likely see a bond package sometime this year. He said in addition to bringing civility back to the council, he thinks he has helped move the city toward streamlining decision-making, increasing efficiencies, addressing aging infrastructure and confronting an anemic revenue base.

District 4: Democrat Maria Barnes said she wants a second term to complete efforts to strengthen neighborhood input. "There isn't enough time in two years to get things done. I have a lot that I want to finish, like keeping the momentum going on the update of the city's comprehensive plan," she said. Barnes said her district in the core of midtown is most affected by infill development, which the plan will address. Republican challenger Jay Matlock said he is running to give District 4 a voice from someone who is not afraid to let the voters know where he stands. This would be Matlock's first run at a public office. "If there is a great representative in office, there is no reason to challenge them. Nothing personal against Maria, but there has just been a lack of action; she hasn't taken a hard stance on anything." He said he wants to focus on crime, education and economic development.

District 3: Democrat Roscoe Turner was the first councilor to announce his re-election bid. He could not be reached last week for comment. But in his announcement last October, Turner said there "are many predators hovering around our city and I cannot in good conscience step down at a time when our city's sovereignty is being threatened." Turner has spent his past term concentrating on ways to increase sales tax revenue. Republican Gerald Rapson has announced he will challenge Turner. Rapson also could not be reached for comment. When Rapson announced, he said that he wants to see north Tulsa, specifically District 3, become a better, more comfortable place to live, raise children and retire.

District 2: Republican Rick Westcott said he is seeking another term to ensure projects he started don't lose momentum. Westcott spearheaded an effort to bring Amtrak to Tulsa, which resulted in a feasibility study by Amtrak and support by area legislators. "It's not a done deal and there is still a lot of work to be done," he said. He also worked to keep the city golf courses open under new management. Westcott also wants to continue efforts to find funding to pay for additional police officers.

District 1: Democrat Jack Henderson is seeking re-election to continue his work in rebuilding north Tulsa. Henderson could not be reached for comment. He has worked on several issues, ranging from weed control to additional lighting in areas of his district.

City auditor: Wood will seek his 11th term and if re-elected would be the longest-serving elected city official. "I really enjoy the work of being umpire for the team," he said. "I don't play, but I make sure everyone is playing by the rules and so far nobody is cheating."

[RecycleMichael]

It sure is quiet out there...

Filing starts in a day and a half...surely somebody else is running...

[Ed W]

The World overlooked one guy running in District 9.

Make Life Simple

He says he has the 300 signatures to get on the ballot.  It should be an interesting campaign.

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

The World overlooked one guy running in District 9.

Make Life Simple

He says he has the 300 signatures to get on the ballot.  It should be an interesting campaign.

I was shocked after going onto the Tay's website and learning about City of Tulsa Revised Ordinances Title 27, Chapter 14, Section 1404.

quote: A. It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person, by means of a telephone, to willfully:
1. Make any comment, request, suggestion, or proposal which is obscene, lewd,
lascivious, filthy, or indecent;

I can't believe someone legislated about booty calls. Someone was obviously not getting any and got a tad jealous.

Also how can you get caught doing it? Has anyone got caught. Now I'm just confused.

[RecycleMichael]

This update from today's Tulsa World...

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=11&articleID=20080113_1_A9_hBoth20848

City Council filings begin this week By BRIAN BARBER & P.J. LASSEK 1/13/2008

Both parties have their eyes on District 9, which will be the only race for an open seat.


All's quiet on the eve of the municipal filing period for Tulsa's City Council elections. With eight of the nine councilors planning to seek re-election, only a few candidates have publicly announced that they will mount challenges. But there could be some surprise candidacies, political party leaders say.

Tulsa County Democratic Party Chairwoman Elaine Dodd said she's talked to some candidates who plan to file "but don't want their names released at this time." "There always will be some people who make late decisions to either not file or to file," she said. Tulsa County GOP Chairwoman Joy Mohorovicic said nothing's certain until the three-day filing period closes. "Only then will we know the field of candidates and how it stacks up," she said.

Candidates must file for office at the Tulsa County Election Board, 555 N. Denver Ave., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Wednesday. They must be registered voters of the council district for more than 90 days.

Republican and Democratic candidates must pay a $50 filing fee or have a petition with at least 300 signatures from registered district voters.

Independents must have a 300-signature petition. Councilors serve two-year terms and are paid an annual salary of $18,000. Both parties have their eyes on District 9, which will be the only race for an open seat. Republican Councilor Cason Carter, who has served one term, has opted to compete for Oklahoma Senate District 35, which Jim Williamson is vacating due to term limits.
Republican G.T. Bynum, who worked for six years in the U.S. Senate for Don Nickles and Tom Coburn, has announced his candidacy. Mohorovicic said Bynum will be a tough candidate to beat. "This will be his first time running for office, but he knows the political process," she said. Although the district is a GOP stronghold, Dodd said, there are at least two Democrats considering a run, "believing it is more doable without an incumbent in the race." With sufficient financial resources and an on-target message, a "healthy competition" could brew in the district, Dodd said.

The 2006 council elections saw four incumbents, in Districts 2,4,7, and 9, not seek reelection, allowing many political newcomers to join the council. Democrats would like to capture another seat on the council to tip the 5-4 balance in the party's favor, Dodd said. "I know that the Democratic and Republican councilors often vote the same way on issues, but sometimes they don't," she said. "If it comes to that, you would hope your party would have the majority."

Only two other council races have known matchups. In District 3, Democratic Councilor Roscoe Turner will attempt to fend off Republican Gerald Rapson for a second time. Rapson is retired from the manufacturing industry. And in District 4, Democratic Councilor Maria Barnes will face Republicans Jay Matlock and Rocky Frisco. Matlock is in finance and real estate and Frisco is a musician. Republican incumbents Rick Westcott in District 2, Bill Martinson in District 5, John Eagleton in District 7 and Bill Christiansen in District 8 so far have no publicly announced challengers.

Democratic incumbents Jack Henderson in District 1 and Dennis Troyer in District 6 are also opponent-free going into the filing period. District 5 is an obvious target for Democrats, Dodd said, because voter registration between the parties is fairly even. The close outcome of the 2006 race between Martinson and Democrat Jon Kirby is still being challenged in court.

At least two Democrats are weighing runs in the district, Dodd said. Mohorovicic said the fact that no Republican incumbent has drawn challengers so far "shows, I think, that people are generally satisfied with their Republican representation on the council." "We're fielding opponents in at least two of the Democratic races and in open District 9," she said, adding that efforts have been made to have a Republican in all races. "Running a campaign takes a lot of money and a lot of time," she said. "You have to be a special breed of person to do that."

The presidential races have steered a lot of attention away from the local races, Mohorovicic said. "I think before Super Tuesday, there will be a lot of political activity in support of federal candidates," she said. "That's what people are interested in right now." Democrats, too, have worked to field candidates in the council races. "The Democratic Party is always in search of good Democrats to run for office, not against incumbents," Dodd said. "Our incumbents in the party take the the position that we stand behind them."

The low councilor salary might dissuade people from competing for the job, Dodd said. "For someone who is not retired and doesn't have their own business or source of income, it is not even a consideration," she said.

[inteller]

that last statement is fairly true.  I'd love to run against the donkey of district 8, but cost constraints prevent me from doing so.

The othe problem is the bias against any party but republicans or democrats and the 300 sig rule.   Hell, I'd switch to dem or rep and pay the fee and then turn around and switch to independent after I was elected.

[FOTD]

Rocky Frisco?

[rockyfrisco]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

It sure is quiet out there...

Filing starts in a day and a half...surely somebody else is running...

I'm running again, but this time, to win. I've run twice before and once for Mayor, but those were just to be heard. This time, I'm going for it.
http://www.frisco-4-tulsa-council.org/

[inteller]

well I'm not in your district, but I would vote for you just because you can't be any kookier than the people aready in there.

haven't I seen you shuffling around downtown before?  I think you even asked me for some change.

[FOTD]

quote:Originally posted by rockyfrisco

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

It sure is quiet out there...

Filing starts in a day and a half...surely somebody else is running...

I'm running again, but this time, to win. I've run twice before and once for Mayor, but those were just to be heard. This time, I'm going for it.
http://www.frisco-4-tulsa-council.org/

You win and I'm likely to become a grade school hall monitor.....so watch it! Besides, how can  you still be at McNellies on Thursdaze if elected?

[PonderInc]

Is there no opponent for the District 9 seat?  Just this "PT Barnum" guy...?  Come on folks...  Please?

[Friendly Bear]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Is there no opponent for the District 9 seat?  Just this "PT Barnum" guy...?  Come on folks...  Please?

Surprised and deeply disappointed that Mr. Martinet didn't draw an opponent.

His "special" election victory to fill the vacated Council seat held by Sam "Benedict Arnold" Roop was won by the narrowest of margins.

Likewise, his 2006 re-election was again by a few hundred vote margin.

He's a echo-chamber for the local, controlling power Establishment.

Yassir, Boss. That's his Council by-line.

[rwarn17588]

If you're so distressed by the lack of candidates, why didn't you run, FB?

Why don't you try to bust up the supposed local power establishment instead of just ranting anonymously and incoherently on an Internet forum?

Is participating in democracy someone else's job?

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by rockyfrisco

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

It sure is quiet out there...

Filing starts in a day and a half...surely somebody else is running...

I'm running again, but this time, to win. I've run twice before and once for Mayor, but those were just to be heard. This time, I'm going for it.
http://www.frisco-4-tulsa-council.org/

Hey Rocky, if you have signs printed, there's three of us around the block from you who would put them in our yards.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

If you're so distressed by the lack of candidates, why didn't you run, FB?

Why don't you try to bust up the supposed local power establishment instead of just ranting anonymously and incoherently on an Internet forum?

Is participating in democracy someone else's job?

Why participate when you can delegate the aggravation to someone else!