Tulsa Election 2006: August 2005 Archives

Today at a noon press conference on City Hall Plaza, Tulsa City Councilor Chris Medlock announced that he will run for Mayor in the 2006 election, and Rick Westcott, chairman of Tulsans for Election Integrity, announced that he would seek to replace Medlock as City Councilor for District 2. Medlock was joined by his wife, his mother, and his niece, and by former City Auditor Ron Howell, who endorsed Medlock's candidacy.

Medlock emphasized his intention to build a solid team to run city government and said he would pursue a nationwide search for a certified city manager to oversee day-to-day city operations. Medlock announced several policy initiatives he would pursue if elected Mayor. (Click the link to see the list.) Included is a call for Tulsa voters to reject renewal of the county's 2/12-cent capital improvements tax ("4 to Fix the County"), which expires in 2006, and instead offer city voters a chance to approve the same amount as a city tax to fund Tulsa's police and fire departments.

Rick Westcott, an attorney, announced his intention to run for the District 2 seat during the special election to replace Randi Miller in 2003, but he stepped aside in favor of Chris Medlock. Westcott has been active in the Tulsa County Republican Party ever since as a member of the Executive Committee and as Chairman of the Platform Committee for the 2005 County Convention.

I've gotten to know both of these men pretty well, and I'm happy that Chris is running for Mayor and Rick for Council. Tulsa would be blessed to have both of them serving us as elected officials.

Below is Rick Westcott's announcement press release, which will tell you more about his background and his views on the issues. (If you're seeing this from the homepage, click the link to read on.)