Muskogee Mayor/City Council candidates and ward map

The election for Muskogee mayor and city council will be held on February 9th, about two-and-a-half weeks from today. Officially, these races are non-partisan; however, voter registration can give you an idea of how a candidate leans. Given that these races tend to attract little attention, I'm posting the candidates registration, as well as a map of the Muskogee City Council Wards.

Candidates for Mayor: Three individuals filed to run for Mayor - incumbent Bob Coburn (R) and challengers Wayne Divelbiss (R) and Pete Caraway (R). Ironically, in a city where maybe 25% of registered voters are Republican, all three mayoral candidates are Republican.

Candidates for Ward I (unexpired term): two candidates filed - incumbent Janey Cagle-Boydston (D) and challenger Joshua Matthew Casarez (D).

Candidates for Ward I (full term): a whopping five people filed for this office - incumbent Lee Ann Langston (D), and challengers Patrick Cale (R), John Mark Lowrimore (D), Holly Rosser-Miller (D), and Diana White (R).

Candidates for Ward IV: two candidates filed here - incumbent Wayne Johnson (D) and challenger Lynne Wagner Wallis (R).

The election is Tuesday, February 9th.

 Here is a map showing the boundaries for each city council ward:

(click on image to view larger)

Mayor Coburn unopposed, races in all city council seats

Muskogee Mayor Bob Coburn

Candidate filing for Muskogee's January 14th municipal elections ended yesterday. For the first time since 2002, the incumbent mayor was unopposed, electing Mayor Bob Coburn to a second term by acclamation.

In Ward I, incumbent councilor David Jones has one opponent, John Mark Lowrimore.

In Ward II, incumbent councilor James Gulley unexpectedly filed for reelection after previously announcing that he was not going to, and will face off with Michelle Green.

In Ward III, incumbent councilor Randy Howard is facing two other candidate -- Dale "D." Boots and Ivory Vann.

In Ward IV, incumbent councilor Kenny Payne did not seek reelection. Running to replace him are Marlon Coleman, Claressa Vealy-Dyer, Dean Swan, and former councilor Troy Stoutermire.

Muskogee City Council Ward Boundaries

(click to view larger)

This is the first election under Muskogee's new "ward-only" voting system. Previously, candidate's had to reside in the ward they were running for, but were elected city-wide, resulting in occasions when a candidate would win his ward, but lose across the city and thus not be elected.

Coburn wins mayor, three council races go to runoff

In last night's Muskogee mayoral contest, Bob Coburn defeated David Ragsdale with a resounding 69% to 31% margin. Coburn, cousin to the U.S. Senator, vacated a city council seat to run to succeed Mayor John Tyler Hammons.

Three council wards will be having runoff elections on April 3rd. In Ward I, Lee Ann Langston (49%) and Gary Cooper (42%) will face each other again. In Ward II, incumbent councilor Shawn Raper (47%) and Dan Hall (34%) are in a runoff. In Ward III, Derrick Reed (41%) and Dale "D." Boots (33%) finish out the runoff matchups. Wayne Johnson defeated Ron Venters 58% to 42% in Ward IV.

All three ballot propositions passed, with ward-voting receiving 57%. Proposition 1 (moving election date to comply with state law) took 79%, and Proposition 3 (moving swearing in date) got 88%.

Election Today!

Today is election day for school boards, many municipalities, and several state legislative special elections. This will be the first election with Oklahoma's new voting machines and Voter ID law, so be sure to bring your Voter ID card or some other form of government-issued identification (such as a driver's license).

Muskogee voters will be decided on a new mayor, four city councilors, and three city propositions.

• Mayor: Bob Coburn and David Ragsdale
• Ward I (open): Keith Coleman, Gary Cooper, Lee Ann Langston, John Lowrimore
• Ward II: Michelle Green, Dan Hall, Shawn Raper (incumbent)
• Ward III (open): D. Boots, Christopher Fulton, Derrick Reed, William Strand
• Ward IV (open): Wayne Johnson, Ron Venters
• Proposition 1: Would revise municipal election dates to comply with state election laws. If approved, the three-day municipal filing period would begin the second Monday in November in odd-numbered years. General elections would take place the second Tuesday in January in even-numbered years. Runoff elections would be scheduled for the first Tuesday of the following March.
• Proposition 2: Would amend city charter by requiring that City Council ward representatives be elected by voters who live within a candidate’s respective voting district (as opposed to city-wide voting).
• Proposition 3: Would establish the second Tuesday in March in even-numbered years as the date when elected mayor or city councilors assume office.

The unions in Muskogee have gotten pretty involved this time around; I believe they are supporting Ragsdale, Langston, Hall, Reed, and Venters. Personally, I will be voting for Coburn, Cooper, Green (Raper a close second, though; wish they weren't running against each other), and yes on all three propositions. I'm still unsure about Ward III and IV, probably Boots or Fulton, and Johnson.

Poll close at 7pm, so don't forget to vote! Watch for election results at the State Election Board website.

Muskogee City Council Wards

 

(click for larger image)

The municipal election tomorrow is the first for Muskogee's new council ward boundaries. If you are a resident and voter in Muskogee, take a look to see which ward you now live in, as it may have changed.

Currently, city council candidates are voted on city-wide, but have to reside in their ward in order to run for office. One of the propositions on the ballot deals with ward-voting, but I'll touch on that and the other races in another post.

Hammons to Make Reelection Announcement

Muskogee Mayor John Tyler Hammons will be making an official announcement regarding his intentions for, or against, reelection in 2010 tonight.

The press conference will be held tonight at 6pm at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee. Hammons was first elected in May of 2008; at the time, making him the youngest mayor in the nation.

The next mayoral and city council election will be held on April 6th. The filing period is February 1-3. City Councilor Jim Ritchey has already announced that he will be running for mayor.

Attend the July 13th City Council Meeting!

If you are a Muskogee resident, this post is for you!

At the July 13th Muskogee City Council meeting (that's this Monday), Mayor John Tyler Hammons will be bringing forward two vital changes to the city charter: ward voting and term limits.

Regardless of your position, it is very important that you attend this meeting to make your voice heard. The city council depends on input from their constituency - but how can they know what you want if they never hear from you?


On Ward Voting

Since the city charter was passed in the 1970's, Muskogee has been divided into four wards, with two city councilors per ward. Wards 1 and 2 comprise 60% of the population; the wards are not equal in population or size. Also, candidates for city council run city-wide, not just in their ward. They can win the election, while losing in their own ward.

Mayor Hammons' proposal is to create eight wards, of equal size/population, and require the candidates for council to win their ward (they would only be on the ballot in the ward they are running for).

I fully endorse this proposal. Please come with me to support the mayor on Monday.

On Term Limits

Currently, there are no term limits for city offices. One councilman, Robert Perkins, has been on the council for over fourteen years.

The mayor's proposed charter change would set an eight year term limit for both the mayoral and city council seats. Any combination of the two offices could be served, as long as it did not equal more than eight years. This would not apply retroactively.

I also support this proposal.


Be sure and come to the City Council meeting this Monday (July 13th), at 7pm in the City Council chambers (3rd floor of City Hall downtown). Make your voice heard!

Mayor Hammons: Listening Session on Charter Amendments Tomorrow!

The following is a letter from Muskogee Mayor John Tyler Hammons, notifying Muskogee residents of a listening session tomorrow evening at 6:00pm at the Civic Center.

Dear Muskogee taxpayer:

On Thursday, June 18, I will be hosting a listening session on potential amendments to our City Charter. As the chief legal document for our City, the Charter is essential the Constitution for our City. It governs has the City must conduct business. From our form of government to how tax dollars are allocated, the Charter governs all City operations.

The Charter was adopted in 1973 and has not been subject to a comprehensive review since. No regular review. No attempts to modernize. This is unacceptable. Public officials must regularly inspect our Charter to ensure the current needs and desires of the citizens are being met. We must act now to ensure that the citizens are getting the Charter they want.

Any change to our Charter will require a vote of the people. As such, it is of great importance the the citizen provide direction to City leaders. The Charter is the people's document: it is a contract between the people of Muskogee and the elected leadership.

Please join me at the Civic Center at 6 PM in rooms A and B to share your views with me. Any and all changes will be subject to discussion. I thank you for your valued input. I look forward to sharing this important discussion with the public.

John Tyler Hammons
Mayor of Muskogee

Issues to be discussed include term-limits for city elected officials, and a change to the ward system. Currently, Muskogee is split into eight wards, which are not equivalent in size or population. For some reason, when the charter was adopted, the system meant that voters from all wards voted in all ward elections; therefore, a candidate could lose in his ward, but still be elected that ward's councilmember, due to winning the overall vote from across the city. This needs to be changed.

I encourage Muskogee residents to attend this special meeting. Again, it will be held at the Civic Center (rooms A and B) from 6:00pm.