Tulsa World: Democratic senator announces Tulsa mayoral candidacy

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Democratic senator announces Tulsa mayoral candidacy

Democrat State Sen. Tom Adelson announced Wednesday that he will run for Tulsa mayor.His declaration came before a large crowd gathered Wednesday morning at Braden Park in midtown. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World

By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Published: 7/1/2009 9:19 AM
Last Modified: 7/1/2009 2:20 PM

State Sen. Tom Adelson on Wednesday announced his run for Tulsa mayor, saying he wants to focus on smart development and building unity with the City Council.

Speaking to a crowd of about 100 people at midtown’s Braden Park, Adelson said Tulsa has been his family’s home for five generations and “we love it here.”

As state senator, he said, “I’ve learned one central lesson - the best way to get things done is to work together, to find a common ground.

“I want to bring that spirit of cooperation to the mayor’s office.” The 43-year-old Democrat said he will continue to serve as a senator pending the outcome of the mayoral race.

Mayor Kathy Taylor, also a Democrat, created a race for an open seat when she announced in early June that she was aborting her re-election bid.

After his announcement, Adelson told reporters that Taylor has been a strong leader who is leaving the city poised with a lot of positive things to build upon.

But, he said he plans to bring his own approach to the mayor’s office.

“I have a vision for the city that I think all of us share where we all feel safe and secure in our homes, where our children are well-educated and our seniors well-cared for, where we travel to and from work on neighborhood streets and city roads that are in good condition and repair,” he said.

Adelson told reporters that one of his efforts would be “to do all I can to work with the City Council.”

Adelson said one of his key messages will be about smart development so that Tulsa becomes the type of city that people want to live in.

“I’ve seen how other communities have reinvented themselves,” he said. “I recognize that our river is one of our prize asset, and our downtown is one of our prize asset, but the soul of the city is the neighborhoods.”

He said the city needs to be more friendly for development, but that development has to respect the integrity of the neighborhoods.

Adelson also said that as far as the economy goes, the city is “going to have a hard time the next two to three years and everyone is going to feel the strain.”

But he said he is against doing anything that would result in the reduction of public safety.

“We don’t need to be cutting folks,” he said. “Our police, fire and emergency responders do a good job.”

As state senator, Adelson said he has met thousands of Tulsans.

“I know what we’re made of,” he told the crowd. “We’re still the sort of city that will invite a stranger in for some shade and a glass of water.”

He said he wants to listen and learn from citizens and “work together to build a brighter and better Tulsa in all of its beauty and in all of its grace.”

Republicans Dewey Bartlett Jr. announced last week that he also will seek the mayor’s seat.

Adelson narrowly defeated Bartlett in the 2004 general election for Tulsa’s state Senate District 33 seat. Adelson received 51 percent of the vote to Bartlett’s 49 percent. The two combined to spend an estimated $750,000 on that race.

Others who have announced their mayoral candidacies include Republican Clay Clark and Democrat Robert Gwin Jr.

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By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Adelson a candidate for mayor," which was published on 7/2/2009. So far, 67 comments have been made.