Dem wins Mayor of Tulsa

[tulsakatz]

At least it looks like Tulsa is joining the trend to switch from Republican to Democrat!

Kathy Taylor is the new kid who has been competing against Republican incumbent LaFortune..........

***************

Taylor Elected Mayor of Tulsa
Tuesday April 04, 2006 9:30pm Posted By: Kevin King

Tulsa - There is a new mayor in town. Democrat Kathy Taylor won the race for mayor, defeating incumbent Bill LaFortune 51 to 47 percent with all of the precincts reporting.

With more than 77-thousand ballots counted, Taylor has earned 39-thousand-453, or 51-percent to LaFortune's 36-thousand-016 (47%). Benford Faulk has received about 2-percent of the vote while Paul Tay has garnered just under 1-percent.

LaFortune took the podium at about 9:30 p.m., telling the crowd how proud he has felt over the past four years to serve as the city's mayor. He congratulated Taylor on her victory and said he wishes her well as she takes over the office of mayor.

Taylor later made her acceptance speech, thanking LaFortune for his service over the past four years, calling him a friend and saying she would call on him in the next four years for advice. She also thanked Tulsans, who turned out in record numbers to vote. The more than 77-thousand voters broke the previous record that was set last month in the mayoral primary.

Taylor doesn't have long to wait. She will be sworn in Monday and says she will meet with LaFortune Wednesday to begin that transition.

In other races, Roscoe Turner has won re-election in City Council District 3, defeating Gerald Rapson 64 to 36 percent. In District 4, Maria Barnes easily defeated Robert Bartlett 59 to 41 percent.

It was a very tight race in District 5, with incumbent Bill Martinson defeating John Kirby by just 21 votes. In District 6, incumbent Jim Mautino lost his seat to Dennis Troyer 51 to 49 percent. And, Cason Carter has won in District 9, defeating Phil Kates 70 to 30 percent.

For City Auditor, incumbent Phil Wood defeated Michael Willis 54 to 46 percent.

All of Tulsa's charter change propositions passed except proposition one, which failed 61 to 39 percent.


http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/316514.html

[Mabus]

1. A k&r for T-Town!

Hopefully a portend of things to come from the midwest. :thumbsup:

[tulsakatz]

4. Hopefully it is a good thing!

At least I think it will be good for Tulsa!

Really, I think we will be seeing a shift in the entire country but we'll have to wait and see how that happens..........

[Mabus]

6. The trend is looking good

at least on Bush's approval in Oklahoma (http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollTrack.aspx?g=cc83be6c-5d4a-4fa3-8db9-39f8eaeb8b5e)

I especially like the trend with Independents (http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollTrack.aspx?g=cc83be6c-5d4a-4fa3-8db9-39f8eaeb8b5e&x=467,3)

Your Democratic governor, like mine here in Kansas, has approval ratings in the 60+%.

Good work Tulsa.
-From a former OKC'er

[tulsakatz]

8. thanks for the links!

Actually, where I am, it seems like there is even lower support for Bush...........judging by the people I come into contact with. Of all of my friends, I only know 2 who are Repbulican and only 1 of them actually likes Bush!

Thanks Former OKCer!

[Ecumenist]

2. HALLELUYAH!!!

My mom was from Tulsa...:toast: :bounce: :headbang: :applause: :woohoo: :patriot:

[eleny]

3. Beat an incumbent? K&R!!!

[TlalocW]

5. I'm in Tulsa

And I'm seriously thinking of going into work tomorrow and start talking about how her election was obviously ordained by God just to piss off the religious, conservative freaks, which consists of most of the office. :)

Good riddance to LaFortune. He never did anything noteworthy except try to force the Tulsa Zoo to put up an Intelligent Design exhibit.

TlalocW

[tulsakatz]

7. haha!!

Good move about being ordained by God!!

You might also mention the Republican's culture of corruption too!

Last weekend I was driving to work and I heard one of LaFortune's campaign commercials on the radio. It talked about how Taylor had moved her family's rental car business here but that she hired people in India to work there.

I got so mad when I heard that!!! When I got to work I immediately sent an email to LaFortune's website telling them that I don't respond well to messages like that!!

[Behind the Aegis]

9. seems Dems were big winners tonight in Tulsa.

Although I can't vote there, being in Oklahoma, and getting all our stations from Tulsa, we watched what was happening. Although, I have no idea what any of the "props" were...anyone know?

[tulsakatz]

10. propostions

I found a sample ballot online.........

Proposition 1
Shall the charter of the city of Tulsa be amended to provide the council may employ attorneys to assist the council in its duties and to provided that such attorneys shall not be subject to supervision or management by the city attorney?

Proposition 2
Shall the charter of the city of Tulsa be amended to provide resolutions approved by the city shall be published?

Proposition 3
Shall the charter of the city of Tulsa be amended to provide members of city boards, commission, authorities, and agencies shall be residents and qualified electors of the city of Tulsa?

Proposition 4
Shall the charter of the city of Tulsa be amended to establish election dates and terms of office to correspond with state law providing for the conduct of elections by county election boards?

Proposition 5
Shall the charter of the city of Tulsa be amended to specify grounds for which elected officers may be recalled; to require that only qualified electors residing in an election district may circulate a supporting petition for recall; to provide that the signature of each petitioner appearing in the voter registration books; and to provide that a valid contact telephone number of each petitioner shall be specified on the supporting petition; and to provide that supporting petitions for recall must contain the signatures equal in number to twenty-five percent (25%) of those voting in the election district for the affected office in the preceding Mayoral General Election?

Proposition 6
Shall the charter of the city of Tulsa be amended to require the Mayor to make appointments subject to confirmation by the council within sixty (60) days or such other time as the council may authorize and to authorize the council to make appointments, should the Mayor fail to do so?

http://www.tulsacounty.org/announcements/AbsenteeBallots/2006/ST4Tulsa442006.pdf

[electropop]

11. I hope our next President doesn't

"call on {Bush} in the next four years for advice." Of course, I can't imagine anybody being foolish enough to consider it. Not a slam at Tulsa's new mayor; I know it's common courtesy to say this and maybe the last guy was OK.

[tulsakatz]

15. she probably said that as a courtesy,

Not that she will actually do it.

I know she has her own plan about improving Tulsa, so I can't imagine why she would need LaFortune's opinion on that.

[AndyA]

12. LaFortune is anti-gay, and was a marginal Mayor.

Tulsa will be better off without him. He was never able to separate church and state.

Government needs to get out of America's bedrooms, and tend to GOVERNMENT. What goes on in the bedroom is NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS.

Tulsa is very Republican, so this is a big deal.

I especially love the fact that Senator Jim Inhofe (R) and Representative John Sullivan (R) were on TV telling all Republicans to be sure to get out there and vote for LaFortune, because a loss in the Tulsa Mayoral race could be a sign of trouble for Republicans in the rest of the state. Oklahoma, with a Democratic Governor and now a Democratic Mayor in Tulsa just might - *GASP* - start turning a little blue. It will be a welcome change, a ray of light piercing through the Dark Age.

Oklahoma City still has a repugnant Mayor.

[tulsakatz]

16. Inhofe & Sullivan should be worried!

Not only is Tulsa mostly Republican but the LaFortune name is very familiar here too. LaFortune's Uncle, Robert LaFortune was also a Mayor here in the 70s.

I don't remember that much about Robert LaFortune because I wasn't really into politics back then but most people remember Robert LaFortune's term fondly. In fact, there is a huge park across the street from my apt that is named after Robert LaFortune.

So the fact that Taylor, was not only able to beat a Republican incumbent but a Republican incumbent with a prominent name like that is a pretty big deal!

I hope we can get rid of all of our Republican representatives. We may be stuck with Inhofe as he has been there for several yrs. But I would especially like to get rid of Coburn! That guy is a major embarassment to me! Sullivan is pretty worthless too.

[quaoar]

13. K&R

[bobbieinok]

14. Turner (3) and Troyer (6) are democrats

local RW talk show said lots of dems won

[proud patriot]

17. Yippee !

:woohoo:

[fishwax]

18. good news for Oklahoma

congrats to T-Town! :toast: