City council races for District 5 through 9 have a total of 14 candidates
District 5 has two candidates with no incumbent running. Grant Miller is the incumbent in Council District 5. Alicia Andrews, 57 and Karen Gilbert, 55 will compete in the August 27 election.
Andrews is the chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, serving since 2019. She is an East Central High School graduate as well a an OU alumnus. She is a big teacher advocate and a mask support.
Gilbert, a Republican, is a former city councilor for District 5 from 2011-2017. She then ran for the State House and lost. She became the executive director of the Crime Prevention Network (Crime Stoppers). Some residents came to her and asked her to consider running for city council.
Gilbert’s website, karenfortulsa.com, does not give any prioritized issues, but she says the she will work with others and listen.
According to her website, “District 5 is not just a location on a map, it’s the heart of Tulsa, and I’m committed to ensuring it’s a safe, prosperous, and enjoyable place for all of us to call home.”
Gilbert proposed a permanent tax increase of 0.4 percent sales tax for public safety and street improvement which passed in 2016.
Christian Bengel, 56, is the incumbent in District 6 having won the last election in 2022. He will face Uriah Davis, 35, in the August election. Davis, a Democrat, has a Masters in Global Studies and works at Chase Travel. Bengel is an Army Vet, who has worked for the City of Tulsa, and Verizon and currently works for a national technology company.
Bengel, a Republican, was endorsed by Mayor Bynum for reelection, he was also endorsed by the Tulsa World. He is a veteran and a former Tulsa County Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy. He has worked for the City of Tulsa and for several Technology companies.
In District 7, Lori Dector Wright, 49, is an incumbent first elected in 2018. She appears on the Tulsa County Democrat election page and is a Democrat. She has worked at a variety of jobs as an opera singer, Director of Education and Membership for the National Sweet Adelines, and was the Executive Director of Kendall Whittier Incorporated, a non-profit until 2023.
Wright was a council member during the pandemic and voted to close businesses and for the mask mandate. She has marched in the Pride Parade in Tulsa.
She has drawn two opponents in this race: Eddie Huff, 72, and Margie Alfonso, 89.
Huff is a self-employed financial services expert, and a former co-host on the “Pat Campbell Show” on KFAQ. He owns the Eddie Huff Insurance Agency and is a licensed minister. He has a degree in management from Texas Tech. He wants to take the focus out of midtown and wants to improve basic city functions such as streets, safety (police and fire), etc.
Alfonso has run for several elected positions in the past. She ran for OK House District 79 in 2020, and for Tulsa County Commissioner District 3 in 2022. Margie stands for Public Health, Children, Strong local government and Veterans.
Chris Cone, 38 will be competing with Incumbent Phil Lakin, 56 for the District 8 Council seat.
Cone is a Financial Advisor for DP Financial & Tax, lnc., while Lakin has been a council member since being elected in 2011.
Cone feels that the City of Tulsa is overpaying for its infrastructure projects by being late on finishing projects and over budget. He says there is a real need to reign in these budget cost. He quoted the road project on Yale from 81st to 91st as being 10 months late and 6 million dollars over budget. He has a plan to get new police officers by enticing transfers from other police departments.
He has four areas of emphasis. He wants to 1. ensure the city council operations are transparent, 2. advocate pro-business policies, 3. push for increase in law enforcement and first responders, and 4. protect taxpayers from wasteful government spending.
Lakin has been C.E.O. of the Tulsa Community Foundation (TCF) since 1999. He is the incumbent in this race ans has been a city council member since 2011. He voted for Planit Tulsa, signed the LGBTQ proclamation of June 2022 and was a council member during the pandemic when the city shut down businesses and had a mask mandate.
There are five candidates for the Council District 9 seat. Incumbent Jayme Fowler, 65, a Republican is running for the District 9 seat for a third term. Fowler is Managing Partner at Oak Creek Private Wealth. Earlier he had announced for entering the Mayor’s race, but later withdrew his bid and never filed for mayor, instead he filed to continue his bid to remain the Councilor for District 9. He was a councilor during the pandemic with the closing of businesses and the mask mandate.
His website, flower-for-tulsa states he has six priorities:
Robust Public Safety
As City Councilor, my top priority will be a safer city for all, where collaboration and respect define our approach to public safety. A safer Tulsa is the foundation for a thriving and economically vibrant community. Tulsa’s police and first responders help secure our full potential.
Improved Infrastructure
I will embrace innovative business strategies to rapidly improve our infrastructure. We will do this by leveraging public-private partnerships for development, creating new jobs, and ensuring our city achieves new levels of economic growth and prosperity.
Affordable Housing
I will incentivize new development, streamline regulations for permanent housing, and direct a holistic solution to address our homeless. We need increased mental health services, shelters, and outreach programs. Tulsa will be both a smart and compassionate community.
New Economic Growth
From booming oil fields to cutting-edge startups, Tulsans have consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. I will champion free markets to grow our economy, slash red tape, promote entrepreneurship, and attract new business investment to spur job creation.
Strong Education
Education excellence is fundamental to ensuring Tulsa’s future prosperity. I will advocate for better funding, accountability, and teacher support. We must aim to empower every student to realize their full potential through a top-tier public education system, and
Healing the Divide
It’s time we heal partisan divides by focusing on common-sense principles grounded in faith, family, and community. These ideals foster unity and build a stronger city, where we focus on our commonalities, our mutual goals, and working on a brighter future for Tulsa.
Carol Bush, 63, is a former State House Representative of District 70 in Tulsa from 2016 to 2022. For 17 years she owned and operated several retail stores, and has served as executive director of the Tulsa Crime Prevention Network. During her time in the Oklahoma House she earned the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper conservative Index rating of only 34 percent.
Her voting record shows a liberal lean with voting against school choice, voting against keeping school bathrooms by biological gender only, and voting no to keeping biological males out of women’s sports.
Lee Ann Crosby, 40, a Democrat, ran against Jayme Fowler in 2020 and 2022, losing both times. There is no platform information for her campaign. She has started a grogram that helps people transition from prison to society called, ‘Just a Push.”
Julie Dunbar, 54, is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist, and public speaker married to former City Councilor Todd Houston. Her goals are to: Build a city that is rich with opportunity, create compassionate solutions with long-term results for the homeless, have a community where our children flourish, ensure citizens feel safe in our neighborhoods, schools, and businesses, and have a commitment to the well-being of animals and the community.
She says she wants to be a listening ear and then find solutions in collaboration.
Matthew Nelson, 39, an Independent, is the owner of Alvin Stone, Inc., a family business since 1999. Although an Independent he says that he is fiscally a conservative, but wants to provide greater access to public housing. He wants to invest in the community and public safety while being transparent and honest.