The Tulsa City Council elections will be held on August 25th along with the state runoff elections. The Tulsa City Council elections do not have primaries as they are non-partisan races.
If there are more than two candidates filed in a District and no candidate reaches over 50 percent in the Aug. 25th election the two candidates who win the most votes will have a runoff in the general election in November.
There are nine districts but only elections in six districts as District 4, 6 and 8 had only one candidate file. In each of those districts only the incumbent filed: Laura Bellis (District 4), Christian Bengel (District 6) and Phil Lakin, Jr. (District 8).
There is usually a City Auditor at large election as well, but only one candidate, Nathan Pickford, filed and was elected unopposed.
District 5 is a race between incumbent Karen Gilbert (57) and challenger Adam Burnett (32).
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). Gilbert says some residents came to her and asked her to consider running for city council in 2024, so she did and won the 5th District over opponent Alicia Andrews. Gilbert’s website, karenfortulsa.com, says of Gilbert “Karen believes a councilor’s responsibility is straightforward: show up, listen carefully, communicate honestly, and serve the entire district with fairness and respect. She does not ask how someone votes before returning their call. She works across neighborhoods and points of view because every resident deserves access, every concern deserves serious attention, and District 5 deserves a strong advocate at City Hall. “
Her priorities are 1. Working for everyone, 2. Stronger neighborhoods, 3. Supporting children, youth and families, 4. revitalizing District 5, 5. Housing and homelessness, 6.Responsible government and 7. Public Safety.
In 2016 Gilbert proposed a permanent tax increase of 0.4 percent sales tax for public safety and street improvement which passed.
Burnett has lived in District 5 for four years, and is endorsed by the Democratic Party. He is a partner at the law firm of Frasier, Frasier & Hickman. According to an interview with Non-Doc Burnett says code enforcement is paramount in Tulsa. and wants to increase the budget to that City Department. His website adamfortulsa.com says of him, “Adam Burnett brings a practical, solutions-oriented mindset to public service – shaped by real-world experience, a deep respect for working people, and a commitment to building a stronger, more accountable Tulsa for everyone.”
In District 7, Lori Dector Wright, 51, is an incumbent who was first elected in 2018. Wrights’ opponent for the District 7 race are Dave Perry, 56 of Tulsa and Kenny Wogoman, 40, of Tulsa.
Wright has lived in Tulsa for 15 years. She appeared on the Tulsa County Democrat election page in 2024. 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.
Her top priorities as a councilor would be 1). Reducing crime and investing in public safety 2). Updating infrastructure including roads and bridges 3). Innovating and growing opportunities for business development and 4.) Improving the quality of life for all Tulsans
Perry is a Tulsa native and graduated from Union High School. He would like to focus the budget on infrastructure and better neighborhoods. Perry would like to see the City focus it budget on “needs” rather than “wants.” He is critical of the Flock Safety cameras, but is for the Police.
Wogoman was a medical marijuana advocate associated with lawsuits against various state agencies trying to set limits on the new industry back in 2018 and 2021. Wogoman was raised in Tuttle, OK, and is a member of the Cherokee nation. He would like to focus on public safety and improving schools. He says he supports the police, but not additional surveillance cameras for law enforcement purposes.
District 9 has no incumbent as Carol Bush announced she would not be running for re-election. Three candidates will be vying for the position – Ben Johnson, 44; Pete Regan, 56; and Shawn Tiemann, 48.
Regan ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2006 as a Democrat and is a TCC regent. Tiemann is a sportscaster. Johnson works as a 911 dispatcher.
Regan is a graduate of Edison High School and Tulsa native. He works in business and is an attorney. His six biggest issues are safer neighborhoods, better streets and infrastructure, addressing homelessness, supporting local businesses, the responsible use of taxpayer dollars and putting people before politics.
Tiemann is a radio sportscaster, talk show host, fundraiser and content editor. He has also served as a media relations director for a minor league baseball team. His issues are – improving public safety, fixing roads and bridges, neighborhood growth and development, improving city services, small business support, student outcomes, homelessness, park and recreation services, animal welfare services and transparency in city government.
Johnson believes that as a father of three and a 911 dispatcher he is uniquely qualified to represent the people of District 9. His website says “Tulsa has an opportunity to invest in economic development that prioritizes local entrepreneurship and community-driven policy, find innovative ways to support public education at the local level, keep housing and utility costs down, and to make sure our city remains a welcoming and safe community for all Tulsans.”