Poll shows most would pick another candidate over Bartlett
By BRIAN BARBER & P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writers
Mayor Dewey Bartlett won't face re-election until 2013, but a new Tulsa World-sponsored poll shows that, if the election happened today, 58 percent of Tulsans would vote for another candidate.
The scientific survey indicates 26 percent would vote for Bartlett, while 16 percent didn't know or refused to answer.
That could give other candidates the confidence to challenge Bartlett, SoonerPoll.com's Bill Shapard said, but two years is forever in politics, so a lot could change for the mayor.
"It's a long time, and a lot of people may be very forgiving of Dewey and forget about the past," he said.
"This polling was taken in an environment where we haven't seen yet whether this new City Council will be able to work with the mayor and everyone pull in the same direction. The jury is really still out."
The new City Council, which will have seven new members and two incumbents (Councilors Jack Henderson and G.T. Bynum) will be sworn in Dec. 5.
The poll asked whether Tulsans are optimistic about the new council being able to work together to advance the city.
In response, 82 percent said they were somewhat, very or extremely optimistic, while 13 percent had some level of pessimism and 5 percent didn't know or refused to answer.
Shapard pointed out that a near majority (49 percent) chose the somewhat optimistic option.
