Mayor Dewey Bartlett, former-councilor Bill Christianson and former-mayor Kathy Taylor will meet in debate at 6 p.m., Wed., May 8 in the Perkins Auditorium at the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Learning Center, 4502 E. 41st St., during a free, public League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa candidate forum.
Tulsa’s Channel 8 News Anchor Mark Bradshaw will moderate, asking questions submitted in person by audience members. The forum will be broadcast live on KTUL’s cable channel 131, as well as streamed live on its website KTUL.com. The taped version will air on Channel 8 either May 11th or 12th.
“Under Tulsa’s new non-partisan municipal election process, adopted by voters in November 2011, it is possible that the June 11 primary will constitute the end of this mayoral election,” said Heather Hope-Hernandez, president of the Tulsa League of Women Voters.
The new non-partisan Tulsa municipal election rules say if one candidate earns 50% plus one vote in the primary, that candidate is elected.If no candidate wins outright but two candidates’ combined votes add up to 50% plus one, those two candidates advance to the general election in November.
However, if more than two candidates’ votes are needed to make 50% plus one, a runoff election will be held in August among as many candidates as necessary to make 50% plus one.