Mayor Dewey Bartlett has not announced that he will run for re-election, but he’s begun to raise money to do exactly that.
Invitations to a fundraiser hosted by George Kaiser, Ken Levit, Frazier Henke and others have been emailed to potential donors.
The reception will be held Thursday night at American Bank, which Henke owns.
“Kevin Hern, Frazier Henke, George Kaiser, Kell Kelly, Ken Levit, Matt Pinnell, Bill and Julie Powers, Meredith Siegfried and Daryl Woodard invite you to join Mayor Dewey Bartlett at a reception to benefit his re-election,” the invitation states.
It also suggests “giving opportunities” of $2,700, $1,000, $500 and $250, and ends by stating that the invitation is authorized and paid for by Bartlett for Mayor 2017.
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission, which keeps the state’s campaign finance records, showed no listing for Bartlett for Mayor 2017 on its website as of the close of Friday.
Bartlett, a Republican, was first elected in 2009 when he defeated Democrat Tom Adelson. In 2013, he won 55 percent of the vote to defeat former Mayor Kathy Taylor in city’s first nonpartisan mayoral election.
Bartlett’s term expires in December 2016.
If Bartlett, 68, were to be re-elected and complete his four-year term, he would become the longest-serving mayor in Tulsa’s history.
He said Sunday that he is seriously considering another run and described Thursday’s event as a way to get supporters together “to make sure they are all in.”
“I haven’t decided that I’m absolutely going to run but I’m certainly thinking about it,” Bartlett said.
Susan Savage is the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history. She served 10 years, from 1992 to 2002.
The city’s municipal election is not until Nov. 8, 2016, but candidates for office — including the mayor, city councilors and the auditor — must file paperwork with the Tulsa County Election Board in April.
City Councilors Blake Ewing, G.T. Bynum and Phil Lakin have all said they would not rule out a run for mayor.
County Commissioner Karen Keith has said previously that she’s been encouraged to run and is flattered by the support.
Although the city’s municipal elections are nonpartisan, Bartlett’s entry into the race is likely to encourage other Republicans interested in his job to announce their intentions soon in order to compete for campaign contributions.
Ewing, Bynum and Lakin are Republicans. Keith is a Democrat.
Bartlett sits dead last in fundraising among potential candidates with $432. Keith leads with $212,628, followed by Bynum ($32,004), Lakin ($16,102) and Ewing ($897).
Not one of the potential candidates has raised money for his or her campaign in the most recent filing period, according to the Ethics Commission website.