The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=334&articleid=20121111_11_A1_MayorD676339

Poll shows interest in Dewey Bartlett, Kathy Taylor, Bill Christiansen as candidates for mayor

By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/11/2012  2:25 AM

Mayor Dewey Bartlett and former Mayor Kathy Taylor are nearly even in support from Tulsans as to who they would vote to be the next mayor, a new Tulsa World poll shows. An Oklahoma Poll of 311 city voters, conducted Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, supplied a list of potential mayoral candidates' names and asked, if the election were held today, who they would choose.
 
Bartlett got 24 percent to Taylor's 22 percent. Former City Councilor Bill Christiansen, who has announced his candidacy, received 11 percent, followed by former legislator Lucky Lamons with 5 percent, businesswoman Sharon King Davis with 5 percent, and Planning Commission member Bill Leighty with 1 percent. But with the mayor's election not until next year, 32 percent were undecided. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.56 percentage points. SoonerPoll.com's Bill Shapard said Bartlett is benefiting from "the power of incumbency."
 
"Some of the other names will drop off and decide not to run," he said. "The question is: Where will their support go? They had a chance to pick Dewey Bartlett, and they chose someone else." Shapard said he wasn't surprised by Taylor's strong showing, noting that Tulsa is home to a loyal base of Democrats, even though the next mayor's election will be nonpartisan for the first time.
 
The Oklahoma Poll also gauged Bartlett's approval rating, which showed him to have 51 percent support, up from 47 percent a year ago. Of those polled, 13 percent strongly approve of his job performance, 38 percent somewhat approve, 18 percent were uncertain, while 13 percent somewhat disapprove and 18 percent strongly disapprove. Shapard noted that Bartlett's combined disapproval a year ago was 46 percent, compared with 31 percent now. "A lot of people have moved up the scale," he said.
 
"I don't think Mayor Bartlett is operating or governing any different than he was the last time we were in the field. What I think has changed substantially for the mayor is the City Council. There's less bickering and less disagreement. I think that's what the public is seeing."
 
Since last year, many incumbent councilors were voted out of office. Elaine Dejongh, one of those polled, said she's happy that the controversies have died down at City Hall and gives Bartlett high marks. "It's nice to have the tranquility and for them to be focused on the business of the city rather than fighting one another," she said. Dejongh said she would vote to give Bartlett a second term but may change her mind depending on who runs.
 
Susan Dewell said she strongly disapproves of Bartlett's performance. "How do I put this nicely?" she asked. "He doesn't play well with others. He seemed to come into the job wanting only his way, and I thought that was awful." Dewell said she would support Christiansen for mayor. "I think he's more middle of the road and would be more open to try things that would improve our city," she said.
 
Charles Geiger said Bartlett "isn't perfect, but he does OK, I guess." But Geiger would like to see Taylor return. "The city operated smoothly while she was in charge," he said. "She's a smart lady. I wouldn't mind seeing her back in office."
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Tulsa mayor
 Who would you vote for?

 Dewey Bartlett........................24%
 Kathy Taylor ............................22%
 Bill Christiansen .......................11%
 Lucky Lamons ........................... 5%
 Sharon King Davis.................... 5%
 Bill Leighty...................................1%
 Don't Know/refused..............32%

KT could have the job back if she went for it. I don't think BC has enough to support to throw out a same-party incumbent (it's non-partisan elections, but republicans and democrats can still smell their own kind and vote accordingly)

I think a lot of people agree with you. I also know a lot of people are encouraging her to run again as well. I am amazed at her support from republicans and democrats.

Minor fix.

Selling off city hall so she could lease a white-elephant property that a business partner couldnt unload, was probably not the type of "smooth" we really needed.

At least her cell phones don't spontaneously combust...

Oh they do.  She's just badassed enough to deal with the burn until the conversation's over.

We need a mayor with a vision, we don't have that now. I hope that someone really strong steps up. How about Mayor Ewing!

He'd have my vote.  Even if any of the scandals broke.

Twist her arm, please!

ROSCOE TURNER! Ok Wait......What? ???

I think Ewing, Bynum, Leighty are all out. If KT doesn't run, Dewey may have it.

I have another candidate in mind, and I even thought of a campaign slogan:

"Tay for Tulsa! Because you deserve it!"

No need to thank me.

You live in Owasso, right?

I like Dewey Bartlett. He had quite a rough start but seems to have really found lots of success lately. He has always been very good to me and my employer. I also am friends with Bill Christiansen and he really supported our recycling initiatives. Of all the councilors, he made the most outreach to neighborhoods leaders. I could support either one of them, but probably wouldn't get very involved in the race between them.

But if she runs, Kathy Taylor would get my vote. I have worked for fifty plus Mayors in all the towns around Tulsa and of all of them, she was the smartest and the hardest worker. Most importantly, she did what she thought was right and not just what was popular or safe.

It is probably stupid of me and my career to get involved in Mayoral elections, but I believe in her. She made Tulsa better.

I will agree that KT got a lot done as mayor and there was usually little in the way of controversy with her, outside of the whole living in Florida thing during the election.

I was, however, a little miffed at the way it appeared, at least to me, that she shouldered most of the kudos for Vision2025.  The largest part of that (the BOK Center) was completed on her watch.  I remember watching the address she made at the open house the weekend it opened.  Mayor LaFortune (who did ALL the legwork for it) was there, and she essentially gave him a t-shirt...quite literally "I did all this and all I got was this stinking t-shirt".

Other than that, I have no issues with her.

I never really gathered she took "credit" for V-2025.  She did happen to be the mayor though when the BOK opened so, yes, she was really visible around the project's crown jewel at that time, as I suspect any presiding mayor is when a major arena or ball field opens...even if it had been in the works many years before they took office.

In all honesty, she's probably one of the more humble public servants I've gotten to know.  She was truly interested in individual input and when I was in several meetings with her regarding the 2007 time capsule you knew you had her ear even when all the other committee members looked like they were about to fall asleep.

Yep.