Tulsa World: Mayoral contest is replay of '04 match

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Mayoral contest is replay of '04 match
The prize then was a state Senate seat. The race was close.

Bartlett

By BRIAN BARBER and P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writers
Published: 9/10/2009 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 9/10/2009 3:46 AM

Tulsa Elections: Read bios of candidates for mayor, City Council and city auditor and view a map of City Council districts.

Related story: Poll shows Bartlett leading over Adelson.

The mayoral match-up between Dewey Bartlett Jr. and Tom Adelson is a sequel of sorts.

The political foes faced each other on a 2004 ballot for Tulsa's state Senate District 33 seat, which Adelson, a Democrat, won with 51 percent of the vote.

Bartlett, a Republican, said Tuesday that a citywide election is very different from a state Senate race in terms of demographics and issues.

"Other than it being the two of us in the race, I see this as being a whole new ballgame," said Bartlett, the president of Keener Oil & Gas and a former city councilor.

Adelson disagrees, saying that other than logistics, he sees no difference in campaign tactics.

"You obviously can't walk a city like you can a Senate district," the Tulsa lawyer said Tuesday. But "It's about getting the message out."

Adelson said that voters in the Senate race looked at him and at Bartlett and decided that he would be "better for their families."

Bartlett noted one important difference: voter registration.

Senate District 33 leans Democratic with 18,744 registered in that party, 15,897 in the GOP and 5,295 independents for a district total of 39,936.

Tulsa, however, tips toward Republicans, who number 95,254, compared with 91,921 Democrats and 25,165 independents for a total of 212,340 registered voters.

"I think the numbers are more in my favor this time," Bartlett said. "But I am of the mind-set that I want to reach out to everyone and earn their vote because I firmly believe we are one Tulsa."

Adelson said a candidate can't look solely at voter registration in a citywide race. Candidates have to be able to show leadership and competence, he said.

"It's not about political parties leaning left or right; it's about moving the city forward," he said.

Bartlett, who endorsed the re-election bid of Mayor Kathy Taylor, a Democrat, before she cancelled it, said he has "a lot of friends of different political stripes."

"I think there's a lot of common ground," he said. "But at the same time, I'm not walking away from my conservative roots."

Also, he said, city issues are much more immediate to the population.

"At the state level, the issues are theoretical in many ways," he said. "In the city, it's about making sure the toilets flush, trash is picked up and when people walk outside, they feel safe. City government, both from the Mayor's Office and the City Council, has an immediate effect on the quality of life."

Adelson said Bartlett is right about immediacy issues, "but theoretical issues like toll roads and sales tax on groceries are issues we think the city voters would be very interested in."

Bartlett also said a major difference in the race is management.

"There's no discussion about management skills in a state Senate race because it's not really important as a member of the Legislature," he said. "But being in charge of a city with 4,000 employees, it's a key component."

Adelson said that when it comes to management, Bartlett compares himself to Taylor.

"I agree management issues are important, and records of business success will be a topic in the race," he said.

In a twist, the mayoral race and and the 2004 Senate contest have one other similarity besides the candidates: Marvin Branham. He was Bartlett's campaign manager in the Senate race, but now he's managing Adelson's campaign.

Brian Barber 581-8322, P.J. Lassek 581- 8382
brian.barber@tulsaworld.com, pj.lassek@tulsaworld.com By BRIAN BARBER and P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writers

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Adelson, Bartlett showdown is a sequel of sorts," which was published on 9/9/2009.

	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (9/9/2009 6:00:10 PM) I was hoping for a little break from the political ads, but alas it wasn't meant to be. Both are still airing those nuisance ads, glad I have a mute button.
	Report Comment Bullhead, Nicut (9/9/2009 8:19:28 PM) I'm on the outside looking in here but I think Adelson would be Tulsa's best bet for mayor. However, I think Bartlett will win because he's Republican.
	Report Comment Eagle 4, Tulsa (9/10/2009 7:22:55 AM) Yes, Bullhead, Tulsans are very predictable in that regard. They are so conservative(reactionary?) that since our mayor has a silver spoon, the next one must have one also. "The Fortunes" rule! ;)
	Report Comment Johnny O, Tulsa (9/10/2009 10:38:32 AM) I was leaning toward Bartlett until I heard he endorsed Taylor's reelection bid. How could anyone describe themselves as a conservative while endorsing Taylor?
	Report Comment dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (9/10/2009 12:38:07 PM) I will vote independent as a protest vote against both these retreads. Tulsa can do better
	Report Comment Few Clothes, Austin, TX (9/10/2009 5:57:23 PM) I have not dog in this hunt, but I would hope whoever is elected mayor will get the spending under control and address the violence and murders.

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