While District 9 City Councilman Jayme Fowler spent the first half of 2024 campaigning for mayor of Tulsa, he ultimately stepped back from that race and chose to seek a third term in his current position when the June filing period rolled around.
But with Fowler’s initial mayoral intentions well known since last year, the Tulsa City Council District 9 race has also drawn four challengers:
- Carol Bush, a former Oklahoma House member;
- Lee Ann Crosby, a mental health professional;
- Julie Dunbar, a mental health professional; and
- Matthew Nelson, the co-owner of Alvin Stone Inc.
Tulsa voters will cast ballots for nine City Council districts and mayor on Tuesday, Aug. 27. If no candidate attains more than 50 percent of the vote in District 9, the top two finishers will head to a runoff election Nov. 5.
Tulsa City Council District 9 covers a south-central portion of the city.
The following cheat sheet provides an overview of the Tulsa City Council District 9 candidates and is derived from publicly available information, such as campaign websites, news reports, social media accounts and a questionnaire published by the Tulsa World. Candidates are presented in alphabetical order.
Carol Bush
Age: 63
Profession/Occupation: Bush served as the Republican representative of House District 70 from 2016 to 2022, opting not to seek reelection as she first weighed her own mayoral campaign and then chose to run for Tulsa City Council District 9.
During her time in the Legislature, Bush successfully authored a bill in 2017 to extend the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse up to the 45th birthday of a victim. In 2021, she successfully authored a bill legalizing harm-reduction or “needle exchange” programs in Oklahoma. For 10 years, Bush worked as the executive director of the Tulsa Crime Prevention Network. A native Tulsan, Bush is a graduate of Oral Roberts University, and her campaign website says she owned and operated several retail stores before turning to public service.
Platform: Bush’s campaign website says she will listen to all sides and be accountable for her actions. Her priorities include making neighborhoods safe by supporting law enforcement, standing for local control of schools, helping small businesses by regulating less, improving roads and tackling homelessness.
In the Tulsa World questionnaire, Bush emphasized economic development as a priority.
“I am dedicated to advocating for initiatives that support entrepreneurship, attract new industries, and enhance our infrastructure to ensure Tulsa remains competitive and resilient in a rapidly changing economy,” she said.
Lee Ann Crosby
Age: 40
Profession/Occupation: Crosby is a mental health therapist and the founder of a nonprofit. On her campaign website, she notes her establishment of the Just A Push Foundation in 2017 to “empower people in at-risk communities through individualized client services as well as outreach events designed to strengthen relationships within the community.” Her campaign website says the nonprofit serves more than 100 families per year and is growing. The only IRS Form 990 available online or on GuideStar is from 2018 and shows $150 as the total revenue for the organization.
Platform: Crosby is in the Tulsa City Council District 9 race for a third time after unsuccessful bids against Fowler in 2020 and 2022. She does not list goals or priorities on her campaign website or Facebook account. In the Tulsa World questionnaire, she said issues the city needs to address include affordable housing, economic development and improving infrastructure.
“One issue the city needs to address is affordable housing,” she said. “To fix it, we should increase funding for affordable housing, implement rent control measures, promote mixed-income communities, strengthen tenant protections and collaborate with private sector and nonprofit organizations.”
Julie Dunbar
Age: 54
Profession/Occupation: Dunbar is a mental health therapist and a former employee of Tulsa Public Schools. The Human Rights Commission Committee has given Dunbar the Compassionate Citizen of Tulsa Award. Dunbar said in a Facebook post that listening to problems and offering creative solutions is what she does every day. Dunbar’s Husband, Todd Huston, served one term representing District 8 on the Tulsa City Council from 2000 to 2002.
Platform: Dunbar’s campaign website lists her priorities, including helping Tulsa have a thriving business sector, bringing multifaceted solutions to homelessness with an emphasis on mental health care, maintaining safety in the community and committing to animal welfare.
In the Tulsa World questionnaire, Dunbar said one of her priorities is to increase staffing within the Tulsa Police Department, which has reported needing more than 100 additional officers..
“We need additional funding to raise TPD salaries to competitive levels, attract new recruits and retain those considering retirement or relocation,” she said.
Jayme Fowler (incumbent)
Age: 65
Profession/Occupation: Fowler announced his bid for Tulsa mayor in September but decided to end that campaign in May. He initially said he would not seek reelection to a third term representing District 9.
“There have been candidates that have been really out working very hard, and it would be selfish for me to go back on my word,” Fowler said in May. “It is just not the right thing to do.”
But when it came time for candidates to file for Tulsa’s municipal election, Fowler changed his mind and filed for the seat.
Fowler is a managing partner at Oak Creek Private Wealth.
Platform: Fowler has said he is committed to improving parks in Tulsa, and he believes in a safe city, vibrant neighborhoods and strong public schools. Fowler said he will stand against excessive taxes and overbearing regulations.
On his website, Fowler also lists “healing the divide” among six priorities.
“It’s time we heal partisan divides by focusing on common-sense principles grounded in faith, family, and community. These ideals foster unity and build a stronger city, where we focus on our commonalities, our mutual goals, and working on a brighter future for Tulsa,” Fowler states.
In the Tulsa World questionnaire, Fowler said the government needs to rehabilitate unhoused individuals so they can reenter the workforce.
“More housing with ‘wrap-around services’ that provide counseling for addiction and mental health and life-skill training for reentry into the workforce would help foster productive citizens,” he said.
Matthew Nelson
Age: 39
Profession/Occupation: Nelson’s campaign website says he helped his father start Alvin Stone Inc. and he is currently the company’s co-owner. He has counseled at-risk youth at the Youth Services of Tulsa shelter.
Platform: On his campaign website, Nelson said Tulsa needs to invest in mental health support, community outreach programs, educational opportunities and public housing. He also says nothing is more important than supporting small business owners and students because they will ultimately create a better Tulsa.
In the Tulsa World questionnaire, Nelson said he wants to improve Tulsa’s infrastructure and have a schedule for road maintenance.
“I understand that where we live geographically, we are going to have roads that will freeze and thaw several times a year, thus ruining the street,” he said. “However, slapping hot asphalt on the road and letting tires pack it down is a waste of time and resources. We should also ensure that when roads are under construction there are easily accessible construction-free alternative routes.”
