POLITICS
Kimberly Marsh
Ilustration, Adobe Images
The three candidates registered for the Tulsa Mayor’s race are City Councilor Jayme Fowler, Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith, and Monroe Nichols, former Oklahoma House Representative of the 72nd District. Other candidates may still enter the race.
Keith is a former KJRH news reporter and anchor who transitioned to local government as Mayor Bill LaFortune’s Communications Director. She spent much of those four years carrying the ball for the City on Vision 2025. The major initiative was a series of four propositions to increase Tulsa County’s sales tax rate to fund capital improvements and provide economic development incentives. Fowler was devoted to talking to the public about the proposed unprecedented capital program package. It included funding 32 projects for $885 million, including the iconic BOK Center that catalyzed a significant change in downtown Tulsa. She was elected to the County Commission in 2008 and is serving her fourth term.
A native of Muskogee, Keith has a folksy charm about her, punctuated by a get-down-to-business, can-do attitude. Keith thrives on collaboration, as she mentioned working together several times, and she emphasized the importance of community engagement in forums where candidates may hear the community’s needs.
Spotlight on Nichols
Nichols is a graduate of the University of Tulsa with a Master’s in Public Administration. He joined Mayor Kathy Taylor’s staff in 2006. As former mayoral staffers turned elected officials, Keith and Nichols created plans for several issues facing the city and had strong opinions on all the subjects presented at this forum.
Nichols, a Texas native who once publicly said he wanted to be the governor of his home state, is a successful Tulsa transplant, moving among organizations and circles that provided an abundance of leadership opportunities in education and government and resulted in his election to the Oklahoma House of Representatives at the age of 32. His booming voice and broad smile exude a friendly and witty personality. He repeatedly speaks of transparency in governance as a high priority for his administration. If elected, Nicholes would be the first African American mayor of Tulsa.
Fowler: a devoted Tulsan
Fowler proclaims he is not a politician. But he says he is experienced in municipal government and that Tulsa needs a mayor who understands economics and how to grow the city. He was born in Tulsa and raised by two Tulsa Public School educators. He graduated from Memorial High and received his Bachelor’s in Finance and a higher degree from The Wharton School of Finance and Harvard. Jayme has built a 35-year career in the private sector, gaining invaluable business experience, solving complex challenges, and creating jobs. He is serving a second term as Tulsa City Councilor for District 9.
He has positive energy, infectious optimism, and a relaxed presentation style.
Fowler showed his love of community in this closing statement: “Whatever, however, whoever you are – love you very much, and I just really think that Tulsa’s best chapters have yet to be written.”
Keith and Nichol’s competitive spirit as the front runners was evident in just a few comments.
Keith made it clear that the job of Mayor is not a stepping stone for her.
“I’ve been 16 years at Tulsa County, and I know there are things that need fixing for Tulsa County. I think I can put all of my experience working with other people and collaborating across party lines to work for the city. And that’s what exactly I want to do.”
Nicholas said the positive change for the Tulsa community “won’t happen if we simply choose to elect somebody who we may have known the longest.”
