# 2024 Tulsa mayoral election

Elections in Oklahoma :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Senate elections
1907
1909
1913
1914
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1936
1938
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1964 sp
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1994 sp
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2014 sp
2016
2020
2022
2022 sp
2026
2028
House of Representatives elections
1907
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1919
5th sp
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1937
5th sp
1938
1940
1941
7th sp
1942
1944
2nd sp
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1st sp
6th sp
1996
1998
2000
2002
1st sp
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
State government
State elections
1907
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Gubernatorial elections
1907
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Attorney General elections
2022
Treasurer elections
2022
Senate elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
House of Representatives elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
Ballot measures
2004Question 711
2016Question 777
2018Question 788
2020Question 802
2023Question 820 :
Norman
Mayoral elections
2022
2025 :
Oklahoma City
Mayoral elections
1911
2014
2018
2022 :
Tulsa
Municipal elections
2022
2024
Mayoral elections
2002
2006
2009
2013
2016
2020
2024 :
Government :
vte :
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 a mayoral campaign with Keith following suit on August 13. Fowler entered the race on September 5, but later dropped out 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.
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, Nichols and Keith advanced to a November 5 runoff election after placing in the top two during the August 27 election. VanNorman announced his intention to file for a recount two days later. The recount confirmed the results of the primary election.
In September, 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.
Nichols won the runoff election, becoming the first Black mayor of Tulsa and the first Democratic mayor elected since 2006.

## 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

* Carol Bush, former state representative for the 70th district (2016–2022) (Republican) (running for city council)
* G.T. Bynum, incumbent mayor (2016–2024) (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

Mayors
* Rodger Randle, former Mayor of Tulsa (1988-1992)
Labor unions
* IAFF Local 176
* Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police
Governors
* Brad Henry, former Governor of Oklahoma (2003–2011)
* David Walters, former Governor of Oklahoma (1991–1995)
State senators
* Jo Anna Dossett, state senator for the 35th district (2020–present)
Mayors
* Kathy Taylor, former mayor of Tulsa (2006–2009)
Local officials
* Diamond Marshall, member of the Tulsa Public Schools Board for the 2nd district (2023–2024)
* Calvin Michael Moniz, member of the Tulsa Public Schools Board for the 2nd district (2024–present)
Newspapers
* The Black Wall Street Times
* Tulsa World
Federal officials
* Kevin Hern, U.S. Representative from Oklahoma's 1st congressional district (2018–present)
Statewide elected officials
* Frank Keating, Governor of Oklahoma (1995-2003)
* John M. O'Connor, former attorney general of Oklahoma (2021–2023)
* Kevin Stitt, Governor of Oklahoma (2019–present)
State legislators
* Chris Banning, state representative for the 24th district (2022–present)
* Rob Hall, state representative-elect for the 67th district
* Dana Prieto, state senator for the 34th district (2022–present)
* Mark Tedford, state representative for the 69th district (2022-present)
Local officials
* Dave Been, former Chief of the Tulsa Police Department
Organizations
* Tulsa County Republican Party
Newspapers
* Tulsa Beacon
Mayors
* G. T. Bynum, incumbent mayor of Tulsa (2016–2024)

## General election
### Debate

2024 Tulsa mayoral debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Participants | Participants | Participants |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn |||||
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Keith | Nichols | VanNorman |
| 1 | August 8, 2024 | NonDoc/KJRH | Tres Savage and Erin Christy | | P | P | P |

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Karen Keith | Monroe Nichols | Brent VanNorman | Other | Undecided |
| Strategy Management | July 22–24, 2024 | 400 LV | ± 3.5% | 46% | 20% | 11% | 1% | 21% |

### Results

2024 Tulsa mayoral election :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Monroe Nichols | Monroe Nichols | 18,729 | 33.10 |
| Karen Keith | Karen Keith | 18,457 | 32.62 |
| Brent VanNorman | Brent VanNorman | 18,019 | 31.84 |
| Casey Bradford | Casey Bradford | 823 | 1.45 |
| John Jolley | John Jolley | 366 | 0.65 |
| Kaleb Hoosier | Kaleb Hoosier | 105 | 0.19 |
| Paul Tay | Paul Tay | 86 | 0.15 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 56,585 | 100.00 |

## Runoff
### Debate

2024 Tulsa mayoral runoff debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Participants | Participants |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn |||||
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Non-invitee  I Invitee W Withdrawn | Keith | Nichols |
| 1 | September 30, 2024 | KOTV-DT | Craig Day and Lory Fullbright | | P | P |

### Results

2024 Tulsa mayoral election runoff :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Monroe Nichols | Monroe Nichols | 76,300 | 55.62 |
| Karen Keith | Karen Keith | 60,873 | 44.38 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 137,173 | 100.00 |