Tulsa World: Bartlett elected as mayor

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Bartlett elected as mayor
Oilman takes 45 percent of the vote

Tulsa Mayor-elect Dewey Bartlett Jr. gets a hug from his stepdaughter, Andrea Petersen, following his victory speech Tuesday night at Stokely Event Center. STEPHEN HOLMAN/Tulsa World

By BRIAN BARBER and P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writers
Published: 11/11/2009 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 11/11/2009 3:22 AM

Tulsa Elections: See the Tulsa World’s Web page for latest election information.

Republican oilman Dewey Bartlett Jr. triumphed Tuesday night in a heated election battle to become Tulsa's 39th mayor.

"We have a lot of challenges ahead of us. But not tonight — because we won," Bartlett shouted shortly after 8 p.m., surrounded by cheering supporters at his watch party at the Stokely Event Center in east Tulsa.

"I appreciate your vote for one Tulsa, for one good Okie, Dewey Bartlett."

Bartlett collected 45 percent of the vote, while Democrat Tom Adelson got 36 percent and independent Mark Perkins got 18 percent. Perennial independent Lawrence Kirkpatrick eked out less than 1 percent.

Adelson conceded the race about 7:50 p.m. to a crowd in the Crystal Ballroom at downtown's historic Mayo Hotel.

"It's been a spirited campaign and it's time for the city to come together and work for a better Tulsa," said Adelson, a state senator.

Voter turnout for the election was low, with ballots cast by only 66,843 of the city's 212,480 registered voters, 31 percent of the total.

Bartlett, the president of Keener Oil & Gas, will be sworn in with the city's other elected leaders Dec. 7.

The mayor serves a four-year term and has a $105,000 annual salary which, unlike Mayor Kathy Taylor, Bartlett said he will take.

Bartlett said it's time to "close the chapter of campaigning and open the chapter of leadership and government."

"Tulsa's government that I will lead will seek to assist and protect, not control and condemn," he said. "Our government will serve and not direct. It will be open for view, open for criticism and, most importantly, open for business."

Bartlett said it is too early to identify who will serve on his mayoral staff but that Terry Simonson, Tulsa County's director of development and government affairs, and Councilor G.T. Bynum would be part of his transitional Cabinet.

Bartlett, 62, the eldest son of the late Oklahoma governor and U.S. senator Dewey Bartlett Sr., served as a city councilor from 1990 to '94 and ran for mayor in 1992.

Flanked by his wife, Victoria, and three grown children, Bartlett said he would have liked for his father, who died of cancer in 1979, to have been able to celebrate his win with his family.

"My dad was a real inspiration to me," he said. "I learned so much from him, and I know that he's smiling down on us tonight."

Bartlett's watch party featured a who's who of federal, state and local Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe and U.S. Rep. John Sullivan.

During this election cycle, Adelson and Bartlett steadily attacked or responded to attacks through a barrage of TV commercials and mailers, leaving many spectators, including the news media, to characterize the race as one of the nastiest in years.

Adelson, who will return to the state Senate, said he wouldn't speculate on why he lost, other than to say "it was a tough fought campaign."

"We did think my biggest risk was a polarized electorate," he said. "I hope we don't have a polarized electorate.''

Adelson said he was not making any excuses and that "the citizens of Tulsa have spoken and I respect their vote."

Perkins, speaking at his watch party at Leon's, a restaurant in Brookside, said he was ready to turn the page on "this ugly chapter in our history" and called for an end to partisan elections.

"We can love our parties and support their state, national and legislative agendas, but we must begin to get their politics out of our local civil discourse because it is not helpful," he said. "They are established to effectuate power, and to do that they put their party first."

Perkins, a lawyer, said he would create a nonpartisan organization that would work for "positive change."

"We are not Republicans, we are not Democrats, we are not south Tulsans, or north or east or west Tulsans," he said. "We are Tulsans. We are strong enough to overcome any challenge if we work together as Tulsans."

This is the second time that Bartlett and Adelson have faced each other in an election.

In their 2004 race for the Oklahoma Senate District 33 seat, Adelson prevailed over Bartlett with 51 percent of the vote in what has been characterized as the most expensive legislative race in the state's history.

Pre-election contribution reports for the mayor's contest showed that Adelson lent his campaign $850,000, raising a total of nearly $1.3 million, and Bartlett lent his campaign $30,000, raising a total of about $585,000.

By comparison, Perkins ran a modest, nonpartisan campaign on $53,000 in contributions.

World Staff Writer Curtis Killman contributed to this story.

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 "Bartlett to be Tulsa's next mayor," which was published on 11/10/2009.

	Report Comment mr.peabody, country side oklahoma (11/10/2009 8:03:10 PM) That was quick!
	Report Comment marlin, (11/10/2009 8:05:04 PM) Why, only 14 percent of the votes are in and it's close.
	Report Comment jimbym, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:05:22 PM) Why would Adelson concede so early in the night? The polls have been closed for only one hour. At the present moment, the Tulsa World is reporting that only 14% of all precincts have reported their votes and that the race is 39.4 % (Adelson) to 43.0 % (Bartlett).
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:06:13 PM) Excuse me???!!! Only 47% of the vote is in for Mayor and Adelson has already conceded and Bartlett is claiming victory. Am I missing something here?
	Report Comment osupokie, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:06:53 PM) This is the worst thing that could happen to this fine city. May she rest in peace. Sad sad day
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:07:18 PM) jimbym, ignore the TW, they are so far behind. I'm watching the returns on NBC, they show 47% in so far.
	Report Comment 007, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:08:17 PM) well now bartlet can do to Tulsa what bush did to the US.
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:08:36 PM) Congratulations, Mayor Bartlett!
	Report Comment osuk8e, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:08:49 PM) Well, now the TPD has a chance of being fully staffed rather than first cut from the budget.
	Report Comment BrokenHIll, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:08:56 PM) He may know which specific precincts have reported in and knew what to make of it.
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:09:22 PM) Adelson conceded. His internal polling must indicate remaining precincts are not sufficient to overcome the reported vote deficit.
	Report Comment Ingraham, (11/10/2009 8:09:33 PM) kotv has 82% reported 44.4% bartlett 36.4% adelson TW is slow
	Report Comment Basil, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:09:41 PM) Hmm. No Democrats won. Why is that?
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:10:28 PM) Bartlett is making his speech right now, I switched back to watching a movie. Has more of a plot. We already know the story behind Bartlett. Round 2 for Kathy Taylor.
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:11:16 PM) I voted against Phil Wood because he was a gutless wonder in regards to finding out what was going on with the TFD. He let them off the hook.
	Report Comment CrippledShark, San Antonio (11/10/2009 8:12:42 PM) Wow, I bet that even surprised Mr. Bartlett. The results posted must have come in from the heavy democratic precincts with the heavy republican districts yet to be posted. The Adelson family carries a very good name in Tulsa but it is tough to beat out the Bartlett name recognition. Plus the democratic backwash is still waiting to be swallowed by the party....... Goodnight, CS
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:14:37 PM) Perkins was Adelsons only hope. and hedidn't pull enough republican votes to help Adelson.
	Report Comment sassy, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:14:59 PM) Tulsans have shown how stupid they are...Bartlett's name is what put him in the lead, too bad. I would move to some place that votes for people who talk about what they will do instead of talk trash about others, if I didn't already own a house here. Some thought the two female mayors were bad...now we will find out what BAD REALLY IS!
	Report Comment 007, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:16:52 PM) "Well, now the TPD has a chance of being fully staffed rather than first cut from the budget" LOL yeah the TPD will be treated just like they were under lafortune, they will call you when your off duty to help country club trust fund brats home. You know your "second job".
	Report Comment TulsaTulsa, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:17:19 PM) $105,000 down the drain.... thats about 2 police officers down already right?
	Report Comment hmmmmmmm, (11/10/2009 8:18:00 PM) I guarantee you the Kathy Taylor bashers will be eating crow in about 18 months. You get what you vote for.
	Report Comment peelumba, (11/10/2009 8:18:20 PM) sad day for tulsa pitiful turn out and an old money mayor.......tulsans will never learn.
	Report Comment drkdt, (11/10/2009 8:19:49 PM) Off topic, sort of...does anyone know the election wasn't held last Tuesday?? Isn't it the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday. I know other states held elections. Just curious.
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:20:11 PM) Get ready Dewey. There is a mess awaiting your arrival.
	Report Comment TulsaTulsa, Tulsa (11/10/2009 8:22:41 PM) around 500 people voted in the presidential election at my polling station and around 150 voted during this election (estimating because I was there around 5:30). Just felt like telling somebody!

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