Monroe Nichols elected next Tulsa mayor

(TULSA, Okla.) Tulsa voters elected State Representative Monroe Nichols to be the city’s 41st mayor on Tuesday, defeating Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith in a runoff election.

Nichols will be the city’s first Black mayor. He also became the first Black representative elected to represent House District 72 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and served as the Chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus during his time in the legislature.

“We made history by electing the first Black mayor but that’s not the only thing we did,” Nichols said after his win. “We actually sent a signal to the rest of the country that Tulsa’s a city on the move. We’re gonna get people off of our streets. We’re gonna make sure we’re there for children in classrooms all across this community and we’re gonna make sure that every neighbor in this community is safe. The work starts now.”

Nichols’s other ties to Tulsa include serving as an aide to former Tulsa mayor Kathy Taylor and co-founding Impact Tulsa.

Nichols campaigned on a commitment to recognize the role of Native Americans and tribes in the City of Tulsa as well as the importance of collaborating with them. Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Osage Nation, and Cherokee Nation all have boundaries within Tulsa city limits.

Nichols, set to replace the Mayor G.T. Bynum on December 2, also said he plans to appoint a Director of Tribal Policy and Partnerships.

Bynum congratulated Nichols the night of his historic win and thanked Keith for running.

“Karen has our city’s gratitude for all she has done - and will continue to do - for Tulsa,” Bynum said.