Debate Recap: Tulsa's Mayoral Candidates Spar But Agree Homelessness Is City's Biggest Problem

The Tulsa Mayoral candidates Karen Keith and Monroe Nichols met for a debate hosted by News On 6 Monday night.

Both candidates are stepping down from their previous positions to run for mayor.

Monroe Nichols, a Democratic representative for Oklahoma House District 72, is vying for the mayor's seat. His district stretches from West Tulsa, covering areas like Charles Page Boulevard and 49th West Avenue, up to 86th Street North near Highway 75.

Elected in 2016, Nichols made history as the first African American to represent the district. Currently, he serves on 10 House committees and is the chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus.

Karen Keith, also a Democrat, is the Tulsa County Commissioner for District 2. Her jurisdiction includes Sand Springs, Tulsa, Jenks, and Glenpool. Keith has held this position since 2008, after serving in various roles, including working for former Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune and working as a news anchor for over 25 years.

Keith has been recognized by the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Executive Board of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Both candidates bring significant political and community experience to the race, making this debate a key event in the Tulsa mayoral election.

Here were the rules for the debate:

1. Questions asked to both candidates and individually
2. Candidates will be given about a minute to answer each question
3. Rebuttals are at the discretion of the moderators
4. Candidates will be given two minutes for closing statements

Biggest Issue Facing Tulsa.

Keith: So I believe the biggest issue for us is homelessness. This is something we have to tackle, beginning at City Hall, getting making it easier for us to get more affordable housing out of the ground, and it's just too difficult to get the permits. We should have pre-permitted plans for Habitat for Humanity. It's the same plan. You shouldn't have to take it back and forth whenever you're building the same house over and over. I will work with HUD, and in the first year of office, we would like to get 200 homes set up for homeless people who are on the streets. I'm also currently working with our business leaders downtown to set up a low-barrier shelter. It is really needed, and they are willing to help me get that thing going. I'm continuing to work with that, and I hope to announce those plans here anytime soon. I'm excited about working on this issue. I firmly believe I can move the needle because I know how to work with the individuals who are working in that space.

Nichols: I'd have to agree. It's why I started the campaign, really launching a strategy to end homelessness as we know it by 2030. That strategy makes it so that homelessness is rare, brief and nonrecurring, and getting us a functional zero in six years. That starts with taking ownership of the issue in an accountable way, making sure we get somebody appointed at the city who will lead our homelessness strategy across the city. That starts with us working to coordinate the care of those folks who are experiencing homelessness, getting out there with the outreach workers and understanding the underlying issues facing those individuals. What we know about homelessness is that it's getting 8% worse. It hits us everywhere, from economic development to education, with 900 Tulsa Public School kids who are homeless today, the homelessness strategy is on Monroe for mayor.com. we are ready to go with 6,000 affordable units in the first four years. We will end this problem in this administration, and I look forward to leading.

Summary: Both candidates Keith and Nichols identified homelessness as the city's biggest issue, with Keith focusing on expediting affordable housing permits and creating shelters, while Nichols proposed a comprehensive plan to end homelessness by 2030 with 6,000 affordable housing units.

VIDEO: What Is The Biggest Problem Facing Tulsa?

Message Toward Non-Democrat Voters

Q. The mayor's office in Tulsa is a nonpartisan position; however, both of you are Democrats. A more conservative candidate lost in the primary election last month by less than 500 votes. What is your message to Tulsa Republicans?

Nichols: So when I started the campaign, it was all about issues, and I think that's why we were successful on Aug. 27, getting the most votes out of anybody in the race. We started the campaign just talking about how we're going to meet the needs of Tulsans, how we're going to end homelessness, how we're going to improve student outcomes, how we're going to expand our economy and make sure this is the safest big city in America. What I believe is that folks who are left of center or right of center just want a city that works better. They want to make sure that the roads are smooth and that the city budget is transparent, and that's how we are going to deliver, should Tulsans elect me. I've worked in the legislature now for eight years, and over those eight years, what I've learned is, is that it's not all about who gets credit, but it is about progress. That progress means that you got to work with a broad coalition of folks. We built that coalition campaign. We're going to leverage that coalition to lead after November 5th. And what I would tell folks is, hold me accountable. Hold me accountable to get it done, and I look forward to being your mayor.

Keith: Well, I think it's been clear my entire 16 years working at Tulsa County, I've been the lone Democrat, and I have worked I am nonpartisan. And the work that we do here in the mayor's office and at the county commission, you know, I will just say this, potholes are not red or blue. The work that we do is nonpartisan, and I have a record of doing this, of bringing money home for the levies, and just recently bringing money home from our state legislature. And my opponent, in eight years, has passed two bills. Now other democratic individuals have passed a whole lot more, but in about three days, I went up to the legislature, met with them, came back, met with the approps committee, and I brought home $50 million so arguably, I know I'm the one who knows how to get the work done, bring people together to do it, and I'm prepared to do that as your mayor, and I look forward to doing the work.

Summary: Nichols and Keith emphasized their commitment to nonpartisan leadership, with Nichols highlighting his focus on practical issues and coalition-building, while Keith underscored her long-standing ability to work across party lines and deliver tangible results, assuring Tulsa Republicans of her experience in making government work for everyone.

VIDEO: Candidates' Message To Republican Voters

Addressing Homelessness: Housing vs. Treatment

Q. There are several model plans for addressing homelessness in Tulsa. One is a "housing first" approach, which means providing permanent and supportive housing for people without preconditions. Another is a "treatment first" approach, which believes that homeless people must first address any mental health or substance abuse problems before a permanent housing solution can be reached. Which model would you support, or do you have another plan to address homelessness?

Nichols: Look, we have a crisis now. Homelessness has gotten 8% worse. Almost every year, family homelessness is up 34% since 2020. I don't think that we have to choose one or the other. The fact is, we have to have an all-in approach. You have to ask yourself, if somebody is suffering from a mental health or substance abuse issue and we choose not to house them, is Tulsa safer because they're on the streets, or is Tulsa safer because we've chosen to find them a place to be where we can serve them better? I think Tulsa is a little bit safer if we can get them off the streets. That being the case, I think it's also critical, as I said before, that we coordinate these services to make sure that we put folks on the track to get better. I do believe that most folks sleeping on the streets today, we prefer not to be sleeping on the streets. I spent time with folks who are sleeping under bridges and on sidewalks and in these encampments, I've talked to them about their stories. We have to meet this moment with compassion, and I think it's an all-in approach. I'm looking forward to leading that approach.

Keith: So I think you have to have wraparound services for many of our folks coming off the streets. I've worked with our family shelter, and I'm so excited about the work we do, because every week, we are housing families, and we work with the housing authority to get them into homes. So we're moving the needle there. And we just opened Good Samaritan joined us as a health provider there, and that's making a big difference. And we have this pharmacy that is helping individuals who are on the street and need some of the pharmaceuticals that they cannot afford. In addition, I do want to point out also that I helped find the dirt so that Irongate would have a place to go. Those are just a few of the things that I've worked on and been successful doing. And, I mean, there's I've and I've done the Point-in-Time Count. This is an area where I'm highly engaged and I'm just ready to continue to move the needle on this because I've already got plans in place.

Summary: Nichols advocated for an "all-in" approach to homelessness, combining housing first and treatment strategies, while Keith said the importance of wraparound services, citing her experience with family shelters and healthcare access, and her existing plans to continue addressing the issue.

VIDEO: Housing First Or Treatment First Homelessness Approach?

Affordable Housing

Q. The Tulsa Housing Authority says the demand for affordable housing far exceeds the supply in Tulsa. If elected, how would you provide more affordable housing in Tulsa?

Keith: I will be working with the housing authority. We think that for like, $2.4 million, that in one year, we could get at least 200 families off of the streets, and they have got a nice, solid plan. It's going to be philanthropy. It's the Tulsa Housing Authority and the City of Tulsa, everybody working together. And I want to be part of that plan. And again, yet, 200 people off the streets in one year, and I believe we can do it.

Nichols: When I started, we started this campaign talking about issues, talking about a vision for the future, one of those issues that we've talked about from the start is affordable housing. Again, you can go to Monroeformayor.com and see our affordable housing plan, which includes us getting 6,000 new affordable units ready and up online by 2028. It also includes a 60% reduction in blighted properties in our neighborhoods as we revitalize our neighborhoods and bring a sense of pride back to communities. And then it also means that we have to expedite some of these affordable housing projects to ensure that the city is not in the way of us doing what we need to do to get these, these projects out of the ground. Like I said before I mentioned the 900 kids at Tulsa public schools that are homeless. There are another 1,200 kids that are in families facing eviction. This is a crisis of epic proportions. It's the reason why we spend so much time talking to developers, talking to families about how we get over the top of it. And like I said, you go to Monroeformayor.com and see that affordable housing plan.

Summary: In response to the affordable housing crisis in Tulsa, Keith said working with the Tulsa Housing Authority to house 200 families within a year, while Nichols outlined a broader plan to create 6,000 affordable units by 2028 and reduce blighted properties by 60%, highlighting the urgency of the housing issue.

VIDEO: How Would You Provide Affordable Housing In Tulsa

Crime & Priorities For Tulsa Police

Q. When it comes to crime, what do you think should be the top priority of the Tulsa Police Department?

Nichols: I think it's a couple of things. I mean, a) I think we have to get up to our authorized force and officers. We are understaffed as a police department, so we have to get on the track of recruiting officers and making sure we're doing everything we can to retain them. I was proud to support a bill in the legislature to really hopefully keep folks in the profession for a little bit longer. My dad was a police officer before he passed away. My uncle is a police officer. I know how hard that job is and how important is for us to make sure that we're investing in the folks that are on the streets. I do think we have to focus, though, on getting the most violent offenders off our streets in Tulsa and allow us to invest in neighborhoods so we can ensure that, as you know, look crime: there's a bunch of root cause issues, and this is not just an enforcement issue, so we have to make sure that we are getting the violent criminals off the street, and then we have to do our part and make sure we're investing in those same areas. So we can not only reduce crime, but we can improve education, we can improve economic development, we can improve prosperity, but it starts with getting those violent criminals off the street.

Keith: We are 130 officers short. We have the funds we need to stand up and get more recruits into our community. So how are we going to do that? I mean, the police, they're going everywhere, trying to recruit folks. I want to be a part of that effort. And a former candidate, VanNorman, suggested that we go to some of the states where maybe law enforcement doesn't feel so appreciated, and try to recruit and bring them back here to Tulsa, because we do have an amazing police force, and I will always have their backs. Senate Bill 825, Monroe voted to defund the police at the state level, the state legislature, and I will never do that. I can promise you, I will always have the backs of our law enforcement officers, because they are the ones who keep us safe day in and day out, and I'm really grateful for them, and grateful to have their endorsement. The FOP has endorsed our campaign.

Nichols: I have no idea what Karen (Keith) is talking about, but what I do know is the fact that she probably had to look down at the notes, means that she did not know that, she did not know that, and she did not write it, and I'm not even sure it's true. I would never defund the police. My dad was a police officer, and I'm sure if he were alive today, he'd be really frustrated by somebody accusing me of doing so. I think we have to invest in our officers, invest in our community, and make sure this is the safest big city in the country, irrespective of what people have to say about distorting my record in the past.

Keith: We did the research, it's Senate Bill 825 and you're on record. Nichols: What did the bill do? Keith: It would defund the police, it was set up to defund the police. Municipalities have their funding, and it would not allow municipalities to take funding away from the police. That's how it was said.

Summary: In response to the top priority for the Tulsa Police Department, Nichols said recruiting more officers and focusing on removing violent criminals, while Keith said the need to fill the department's officer shortage and criticized Nichols for supporting a bill to defund the police, a claim Nichols denied.

VIDEO: What Should Be The Top Priority For Tulsa Police?

MORE: Candidates Debate Homelessness, Policing, Bynum's Legacy

The Fentanyl Crisis

Q. How will you work with the Tulsa Police Department to combat the fentanyl crisis?

Keith: it's absolutely a huge issue for all of us, and that starts with more security at our borders. We have to do a better job controlling what comes across our borders and so, you know, and our police definitely, this is something that they're having to pay attention to day in and day out. It's education. We need to reach out to our young people, to our families, and let them understand it could take their life. I mean, this fentanyl epidemic it's real, and as your mayor, I will do everything that I can to educate but to also work to make sure that let people know we want the border more secure.

Nichols: Look, this is something I think about a lot. I have a 16-year-old son, and he and his friends are really good kids, and we've seen, oftentimes, really good kids either make a mistake or there's something in something that they didn't know, and it is out of control, it's dangerous. And for me, I've talked at the top about making sure that we're addressing the issue of violent repeat offenders, I think that that's also for those folks who are part of these drug cartels, who are in our communities, who are actually here in Tulsa. I think we have to make sure that we're doing everything we can to protect public safety here, using intelligence, and making sure that we have high punishments for those who would give these things to our young people who spread them across our community. And then we also have to invest in drug treatment programs to make sure that folks who maybe have fallen into it, or maybe folks who are at threat of relapse, don't do it. It can cost them their lives. We have to educate. We also have to enforce the law, and we have to treat folks in this community.

Summary: Keith wants stronger border security and public education, while Nichols said the importance of targeting drug cartels, enforcing strict punishments, and investing in drug treatment programs alongside education.

VIDEO: How Will You Work To Combat The Fentanyl Crisis?

Challenges With The Juvenile Justice Center

For Keith: Former employees of the Juvenile Justice Center are facing challenges in court that involve accusations of abuse. Your opponent has criticized Tulsa County Commissioners' handling of the accusations. How do you respond?

Keith: Well, first, thank you for asking the question and caring about what happened there. As a county commissioner, I helped build that state-of-the-art facility. Keep in mind that for 50 years, state court judges have run that facility overseen by a state agency, the Office of Juvenile Affairs and as county commissioners. Just think about it this way, if you're a landlord and you have somebody in your home that you're renting to them, they go out and rob a bank. Are you responsible? We had tenants in that building who are not paying attention, and it got it has gotten so bad, the judge sent us a letter and said, I don't want to do this anymore. So being the responsible people that we are, we have taken over the juvenile facility, and we have really turned the corner on this issue, and I'm proud of the work that we're doing and continuing to do. We brought in some high-powered talent who are moving the needle, and I'm just we've got to make sure these kids are safe, and we're doing that.

Nichols' Response: I think the most dangerous thing you can say if you're mayor, that's not my job. The reality is those young people, for years, suffered sexual abuse, physical abuse, and nobody did anything. And so I think it's really interesting that we're here. We're talking about public safety. We're talking about somebody who's going to protect 180,000 square miles when they couldn't protect 150,000 square feet. And I think that's a big distinction between the two of us.

For Nichols: Your opponent has criticized you for being absent while the Juvenile Justice Center’s probation was being discussed last year. How do you respond?

VIDEO: Juvenile Justice Center Discussion

Road Improvements & Infrastructure

Q. What do you see as the city's greatest need when it comes to road improvements? And how would you address those needs?

Nichols: One of the big issues is how we are working with contractors. That's been a challenge from the start. We have these issues of people not getting paid on time, or we have these little, minor issues that are happening at the site level, making sure that we're working with contractors a lot better, as I said before, to make sure that our infrastructure projects, our roads are smooth and it's a transparent process start to finish. And so for me, it's really working with those contractors and working with communities and business owners. So we actually have real-time information about when a project should get done. We have a lot of accounting about who's getting projects, that anybody in the city can really understand what we're spending, who we're spending, who we're spending with, how long the project's going to take, and that the folks who are working with us in the city to get those projects up and going are there, and that there's a high level of coordination. So when we do tear up a street, we don't tear up that same street six months later because we forgot to do something that we make sure is efficient, that we drive down the cost of doing it, and we do it in partnership with those folks who are helping us build that infrastructure every day.

Keith: Well, I think our orange cones are just about everywhere, but these projects are taking way too long, and contractors won't bid on many of our projects because we don't pay on time, so it limits us to some of the larger contractors. The other issue we have is that the way ODOT bids theirs out, ODOT pays a bonus if you finish early, and you get fined if you don't, if you finish late. So we have got to bid similarly, because when you see a project that's been abandoned and it's during the week and there's equipment sitting there. And you think, why is that happening? Well, I can tell you, that they have an ODOT project, and they're running to meet those deadlines, so we are going to have to bid similarly. We also need to make sure that we're using the best pipes and things underneath our streets, like, let's look at the specs because this freeze-thaw cycle is tearing up our streets right after they're done. So there are some things that we can do, and I want to work with our really talented teams in the city to make some of these changes.

VIDEO: What Is Your Plan For Infrastructure & Road Improvements?

There are three tribes whose geographic areas stretch into parts of Tulsa. How are you prepared to lead when it comes to relationships with Native American tribes in our area?

Keith: all right, so I am so proud of the nations that on which our land, where we sit, we have three incredibly amazing chiefs, and they love working across party lines and with us on everything at the county. We've done road work together with them. We're doing Dream Keepers Park. This is going to change our entrance into downtown. Everybody's working together on this because it's something we need to do to truly honor the impacts of the nations who are around us. And I will tell you, if you don't know how they have impacted our economy, it's unbelievable. They have done so much for Oklahoma. I would hate to think what our economy would look like without them, and I will never forget, during COVID-19, when they stood up the monoclonal treatments for all of us, not just for Native Americans.

Nichols: I would have to agree. You know, the first thing that I released in this campaign was how we would work with tribes to move this community forward, everything from like the technical legal issues in response to McGirt, but also all these great opportunities we have to build just an excellent future for all Tulsans. I think it's a badge of honor to have a city that is fully encompassed by Indian Reservation. I think it means that we can be the gateway to Indian country and figure out how we have joint economic development plans, but also how we're going to take care of people, everything from homelessness to education and entrepreneurship, and so I'm really excited the relationship that I've been able to foster with the tribes all across this city, and frankly, tribes all across the state. During my time in the legislature, you can go again to go to Monroeformayor.com, you can see how we are going to talk about CO-governing with tribes, so we can do it together. I think this is a special thing about Tulsa. There are so many special things about Tulsa. One of the more special things is the fact that the land in which we live and inhabit is some of the most special land in our nation's boundaries.

VIDEO: What Is The Mayor's Role In Interacting With Native American Nations In Tulsa?

Tulsa Public Schools has come under criticism from some state education leaders. How would you work with the district and the state to ensure the best education system for students and their families?

Keith: I would definitely tell you that I have the back of our superintendents, not just Tulsa public schools, but I'm talking about union and Jenks and I will tell you, the hyper partisan rhetoric that is coming out of Oklahoma City isn't really good for anybody, because one of our biggest struggles right now is retention and attraction of teachers, when you have all these emergency certifications going out so that we can get bodies in the classroom. This is a huge problem for us, so we need to work with -- and with philanthropy... There's a plan that is in the in the works right now to help with down payments for homes for teachers, who will stay a minimum of five years, and then that down payment is forgiven. And those are things that I think we can do, but you have to do it in tandem with philanthropy. And I'm all about that I want, or we, I want us to have the best education that we can possibly have, and I am proud of our superintendents in this city,

Nichols: yeah, thank you for the question. I think this is obviously an important issue, and it's been an issue I fought for and worked really hard on the legislature when our schools were being attacked last year, and any other time I've been right there hand in hand with our district leaders, and we'll continue to do that. But as mayor, and again, you can go to Monroeformayor.com and see our plan to improve student outcomes. It starts with taking some accountability. It starts with the creation of the Office of Children, Youth and Families. So all of us, nonprofits, philanthropy, schools, we all come together to figure out how we are going to how are we going to jointly support kids all across our community. It also rolls into us building what and creating what I call the Teach in Tulsa fund to make sure we invest our very best teachers to stay in the classrooms where we need them the most. This is all about making sure this is the best community to raise and educate a child. That means that although the mayor doesn't appoint superintendents or school board members, the mayor has to be involved and accountable, and that plan to improve outcomes for kids is going to get us there.

VIDEO: How Would You Improve Education In Tulsa

What parts of Mayor Bynum’s administration do you see as successful, and what, if any, policies would you discontinue?

Nichols: One of the things I've always appreciated about Mayor Bynum is how he has served in some really challenging times. He's done it while being a dad, which I think is really important and not easy. But the other thing is something that a lot of folks don't think about, I think, and it was his commitment to bringing data into the conversation about, how do we improve the city. I'm talking about the Tulsa quality indicators. He was a Tulsa quality indicator, and he was very instrumental in getting up and going. And I really appreciate that, because I think it's critical for us as we pass the baton from one administration to the other, that we have some understanding of where we need to work as a community to get better and to improve. And so I'll always be appreciative of Mayor Bynum for that, and all he's done for this community. An area where I think we would be different is actually in how he has handled, to this point, the relationship with tribes, I think that might be a slight diversion between he and I. My goal is to make sure we're working with them every day, to get ourselves out of the courtroom and around the table of partnerships so we can move Tulsa forward, and that would be the one, one big difference between the two of us.

Keith: So I think Mayor Bynum has just done an extraordinary job through some very difficult times. I mean, we stood side by side through the flooding in 2019. we stood side by side through COVID-19, working on these issues together, but just watching the innovation that he has done for our community. He has built up the crime point, what is called the real-time crime center and it is. It's an innovative thing for our police department, as really could, long term, help us maybe need fewer officers on the streets, and so one thing I would like to do is make our permitting and inspections department more robust. Developers from across this community have been working with them for the past year, and they are telling me over and over again that is too difficult to get their projects out of the ground. It's too costly, it takes too long. So that's something I will be hyper-focused on, because it's a domino effect, and it's part of the problem that we have with homelessness. So I will be hyper-focused on that, and I think we can get that solved.

VIDEO: Opinion On Mayor Bynum's Administration

This year the city passed a $1 billion budget for the first time. Mayor Bynum said his main goal was to give the new mayor a good place to start. What will be your main goals for the budget in your first year as mayor?

Keith: Well again, I want to work on the permitting department and at the same time that will impact homelessness. So we, I want to stand up another low barrier shelter. We have to have it. The city has not had one. We have all these amazing shelters that you know, John 3:16, the day center for the homeless. We've got our family shelter. You've got IronGate, all these groups that are working in that front but we need low barrier shelters because there are individuals on the street now who will not and cannot go into some of these shelters because they have issues. A low barrier shelter allows somebody who -- doesn't matter what condition they come in, and if they have a dog or any of those things, they can go there and be taken care of, and get them off the streets. The negative impacts on our businesses and on our neighborhoods are very destructive, and I would also, and I know Supreme Court rulings are inhibiting this, but we need to get individuals off of our medians who are soliciting because it is dangerous. I've been saying this for months, and now we just had somebody get killed. I want that fixed.

Nichols: Homelessness has been at the top of my list for me from the start. So that will start there. Secondly is making sure we're investing in our police department so we can get a jump start on getting more officers on the street, and get rid of our backlog on rape kit testing, which is critically important for the safety of people in this community. I also think we have to make sure that we're getting on top of this blight issue. In our affordable housing plan, there have been calls for a 60% reduction in blighted properties. We have to make sure that we're investing back in neighborhoods, that we're doing it in a way that actually gets outcomes, and that we're turning these blighted properties in those places where folks can have affordable housing, become a first-time homeowners, and change the complexion of neighborhoods, I think having some resources to do those things will be critically important out the gate.

VIDEO: Main Goal With $1 Billion Budget?

Closing Statements:

Nichols: Yeah, well, again, I want to thank everybody who's watching, and I also want to thank Commissioner Keith. We've been at this for over a year now, and I've known you for a long time, and I'm very proud of you for taking this big step in your public service. We've talked about issues from the start. We got started in this campaign, I decided that we weren't going to make this about partisanship. We weren't going to make this about personalities. We're going to make it about you. That's why we talked about ending homelessness by 2030; that's why we talked about improving student outcomes. That's why we've talked about an economic plan that centers workforce development so we can put people to work and make this the safest big city in the country. We're now about to get to the part of the campaign where folks get a little bit desperate and start attacking, but what I want folks in Tulsa to understand is that we've built something special together since we launched this campaign last July, and while there will be folks who try to distract us and try to divide us and try to threaten the fact that we are unifying around our ideas and a vision that we created together, we're going to stay the course, and I need you to help stay the course with me. I have served this community, and I'm proud of it, even if somebody wants to try to make it as though I shouldn't be, I'm a proud dad. I'm a proud son of a police officer and a probation officer. I am actually the proud grandson of a pastor. Those values are what drive this campaign. Those values are what drive me, and I'm so excited about the opportunity to serve each and every one of you as your mayor. You hold me you can hold me accountable, you know, I'll get results. And on the other side of it is a city that wins next decade and becomes the best place in America to raise and educate a child, to open a business, to do everything like enjoy Route 66. This is the story of us in Tulsa. I'm looking forward to being your mayor, and I can't wait to get back out there on the doorsteps and in neighborhoods to talk about this joint future for our community that we've designed together.

Keith: Thank you all for being out there and listening to us today. I think everybody knows I love this city. I have loved telling the stories of people as a journalist. I have loved working under Mayor Lafortune and being part of his team. We passed Vision 2025, which transformed our downtowns, not just in Tulsa, but throughout Tulsa County, and I have loved, and loved serving as a county commissioner for the last 16 years. Working across party lines comes naturally to me, and of course, you know, I've been successful in getting federal and state funds for projects that are important to our community. Running for mayor is not a stepping stone for me. It is my chance to continue giving back to the city, tackling some issues that might not be easy for everyone to tackle, and using my decades of experience building relationships, working with stakeholders, helping families, and cultivating bipartisan solutions, I am the one who is best prepared to lead our city. And being mayor is about showing up. It's about rolling up your sleeves, and you cannot do that if you miss a third of your job, like my opponent has done in this past year, running for office and serving. It's not easy. It is about making progress for the people we serve. And I have shown you over and over again that I know how to get things done. I know what the issues are, and I know how to work across the aisle to move the needle on these issues. And you can go to karenkeith.org and check out our plans. These plans were built with community leaders, with community engagement, so that I can tell you that these plans are things that we can accomplish and get done, because I know how to do that. On November 5, you have the opportunity to have your voice heard on the future of our city. So I ask that you work with me, we can make Tulsa the absolute best place to live, work and play, and I want to do that for you.

VIDEO: Tulsa Mayoral Debate Closing Statements

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Oklahoma’s Own News On 6 brings you the only live, televised debate between the candidates who are running to be Tulsa’s next Mayor – Karen Keith and Monroe Nichols. Tune in or stream on Monday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. to hear directly from them as we ask the questions and then let you decide. Presented by Ylla Gosney Attorneys at Law.

See the difference locally owned makes – every day – only on Oklahoma’s Own News On 6.