• Source: 2024 Tulsa mayoral election

The 2024 Tulsa mayoral election was held on August 27, 2024, and November 5, 2024, to elect the mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Monroe Nichols won the runoff election, becoming the first Black Mayor of Tulsa.
Since no candidate received over 50% of the vote in the August election, Tulsa County commissioner Karen Keith and Nichols advanced to a runoff scheduled for November 5, 2024. Two-term incumbent mayor G. T. Bynum declined to run for a third term.




Background


With Mayor G. T. Bynum not seeking a third term as Mayor of Tulsa, speculation on who would campaign in 2024 began in a January 2023 Tulsa World article that included former state representative Carol Bush, Tulsa County commissioner Karen Keith, state senator David Rader, state representative Monroe Nichols, city councilors Phil Lakin and Jayme Fowler, and former attorney general John M. O'Connor as potential candidates. By July, O'Connor, Bush and Lakin had all ruled out campaigns.
On July 13, Nichols became the first candidate to launch his mayoral campaign with Keith following suit on August 13. Fowler launched his campaign on September 5, but later withdrew from the race in May 2024. Businessman Casey Bradford entered the race in April 2024. Businessman and attorney Brent VanNorman entered the race shortly before filing in June. Kaleb Hoosier, John Jolley, and perennial candidate Paul Tay also filed to run for the office.
Karen Keith faced criticism during the campaign, including accusations related to her handling of a juvenile detention center scandal. Additionally, controversies arose over her campaign's use of unauthorized photography and edited images in promotional materials, which drew public scrutiny.
On August 27, Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith advanced to a November 5 runoff election after placing in the top two during the August 27 election. Brent VanNorman announced his intention to file for a recount two days later. The recount confirmed the results of the primary election.
In September Karen Keith’s access to the Democratic VAN (Voter Activation Network) database was revoked. The Oklahoma Democratic Party’s Central Committee made this decision after a 90-minute meeting, reversing an earlier allowance for Keith's Democratic field representative to use the system. Concerns were raised about the risk of Republican campaign workers on her team accessing sensitive data. Keith downplayed the impact, stating her campaign would incur additional costs and effort to gather the necessary voter information through alternative means
In October During the 2024 Tulsa mayoral debate, Karen Keith falsely accused her opponent, Monroe Nichols, of voting to "defund the police" during a televised debate. Keith claimed Nichols supported Senate Bill 825, which she described as designed to remove funding from police departments. However, her characterization of the bill was incorrect. Senate Bill 825, passed in 2021, focused on restricting municipalities from reallocating voter-approved tax revenues designated for public safety without a subsequent public vote. Nichols opposed the bill as part of a broader Democratic stance against state-level restrictions on local decision-making, but this vote did not align with the concept of "defunding the police." In fact, Nichols, the son of a police officer, highlighted his commitment to increasing police staffing and addressing violent crime alongside root causes like poverty and education gaps​
Nichols won the runoff election, becoming the first Black Mayor of Tulsa. Nichols is the first Democratic Mayor elected since 2006. His election marked a historical moment for Tulsa, a city with a complicated racial history, particularly due to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. During this tragic event, a white mob attacked the Greenwood District, also known as "Black Wall Street," killing hundreds of Black residents and destroying much of the area. Nichols’ victory was seen by many as an important step in the city's ongoing efforts toward reconciliation and healing from its past.




Candidates






= Advanced to runoff

=
Karen Keith, Tulsa County commissioner for the 2nd district (2008–present) (Democratic)
Monroe Nichols, state representative from the 72nd district (2016–present) (Democratic)




= Eliminated in primary

=
Casey Bradford, businessman (Republican)
Kaleb Hoosier (Republican)
John Jolley
Paul Tay, perennial candidate
Brent VanNorman, accountant and attorney (Republican)




= Withdrawn

=
Jayme Fowler, city councilor for the 9th district (2020–present) (Republican)




= Declined

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Carol Bush, former state representative for the 70th district (2016–2022) (Republican) (running for city council)
G.T. Bynum, incumbent mayor (2016–present) (Republican)
Phil Lakin, city councilor for the 8th district (2011–present) (running for re-election)
John O'Connor, former Oklahoma Attorney General (2021–2023) (Republican) (endorsed VanNorman)
David Rader, state senator for the 39th district (2016–present) (Republican) (running for re-election)




Endorsements






General election






= Debate

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= Polling

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= Results

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Runoff






= Results

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Notes



Partisan clients




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• 2024 Tulsa mayoral election
• 2024 Tulsa municipal elections
• Karen Keith
• 2024 Oklahoma House of Representatives election
• Monroe Nichols
• 2020 Tulsa mayoral election
• 2016 Tulsa mayoral election
• 2013 Tulsa mayoral election
• 2024 United States elections
• 2024 Oklahoma elections