In Tulsa City Council District 3, incumbent Jackie Dutton hopes to continue projects she started in her first term, but voters will have the opportunity Aug. 25 to choose between her and challenger Tanisha Bowen, who hopes to bring new ideas to the council.
A first-time candidate, Bowen has been a real estate agent for 19 years. She has lived in Tulsa since age 1, and now she is seeking a seat on the city council.
“I noticed that the district that I’m running for was going to be an uncontested race, and I like the idea of people having options,” Bowen said. “I have ideas that I think may not have been presented. So I’d like an opportunity to present them and just to better my community.”
While council elections are nonpartisan, the Tulsa County Democratic Party endorsed Bowen in a June 24 Facebook post, urging people to “elect Democrats who will fight for Tulsa.”
Incumbent Jackie Dutton, a former liquor store owner who has lived in District 3 for about 33 years, is seeking reelection for a second term. All nine Tulsa City Council districts are up for election every two years.
“When Councilor (Crista) Patrick decided not to run again, I decided to go ahead and jump in,” Dutton said, referring to the 2024 election, in which she defeated candidate Susan Fredrick to win the seat. “I have been really productive in the amount of time I’ve had.”
Both candidates agreed to interviews ahead of the election. Additionally, on July 23, both candidates participated in a forum at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. While a video has not been officially published online, the forum was co-hosted and documented by the Tulsa Flyer, the Tulsa World and the Tulsa Press Club.
Bowen and Dutton are the sole candidates seeking the Tulsa City Council District 3 seat, which encompasses much of northeast Tulsa, including the Tulsa International Airport and the Tulsa Zoo. The winner of the Aug. 25 election will earn the seat.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 20 to 21 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22.
Dutton: ‘I don’t think the district is receiving its share of improvement funds’
A half-dozen ZIP codes are associated with District 3, but Dutton says those zone improvement plans don’t tell the District 3’s “full story.” She said using census data through the Neighborhood Conditions Index has been a big part of her time as a councilwoman.
“I’ve been using data to target areas within my district that need the most city resources, that don’t have access to mental healthcare, libraries, community centers, parks, transportation, sidewalks, lighting,” Dutton said.
Were she elected for another term, Dutton said she would prioritize getting a community center for District 3 and expand current library services. She said there is only one library in District 3 and no community centers.
“We still need a community center where we can have the youth access programming,” Dutton said. “The only library we have closes at six in the evening. That’s not enough time for kids to get out of school that are doing various involvements with extracurricular activities to utilize services at the library.”
Bowen also acknowledged that the Tulsa City County Library System could make some changes to help residents use its services. While she highlighted some of the library’s features, from genealogy to 3D printing, she agreed access can be an issue for some residents.
“The Tulsa City County Library System is a five-star library system,” Bowen said. “[But when children] don’t live near their library or they can’t go to the library to have access, that makes it really, really hard. But the programs are out there, and Tulsa has a lot of free programs.”
Bowen, who has two daughters, said she has been very involved in their education and has maintained a strong presence across multiple schools in the district. She said teachers are often blamed unfairly for issues in education, and she would like to raise awareness about the resources available to residents.
“Tulsa is a very, very generous city,” Bowen said. “If you just knew the programs that are available to you, then that’s gonna help a lot of people (…) I’m really passionate about being a resource.”
According to Bowen, increasing councilor accessibility to residents could help improve one of the district’s biggest issues: infrastructure. She said many residents have told her they did not know the city council was responsible for infrastructure improvements.
“Know people to contact so you can get stuff done. Be the change that you want to see,” Bowen said. “You may not know who to contact because that person has never been present. I would want to be a presence, because the issues I’m dealing with are local.”
Dutton also noted infrastructure challenges in her 2024 campaign, and despite calling District 3 an “economic driver” for Tulsa, she said she doesn’t believe northeast Tulsa receives a fair share of funding for infrastructure improvements.
“[The district has] median income levels of $49,000, which is pretty low compared to other districts in the city of Tulsa,” Dutton said. “So, wanting to use that information (…) all the different drivers of the district that contribute to the economy of Tulsa — I don’t think the district is receiving its share of improvement funds.”
Bowen praises ‘Safe Move’ program: ‘Let’s have a plan’
In addition to being a real estate agent, Bowen previously worked as a travel agent. She said she recently completed an economic development training program and that her professional experiences would benefit District 3.
“I have to be a problem solver. I have to typically be the calmest,” Bowen said. “I’ve always been told, ‘Be the calmest person in the transaction,’ and so when everything is burning up around you, when everyone is losing their head, bring calm to the situation.”
One of Tulsa’s top “situations” involves housing accessibility.
“Homeownership is something that I always advocate for, because whenever you have homeowners, you have people that typically do better. The children typically do better in school, the family is typically more stable,” Bowen said. “I think [representing District 3] would allow me to help the people in the community and help people that don’t live in the community.”
Bowen said she likes the new “Safe Move” initiative, which the city describes as its “comprehensive plan to address street homelessness.” She said many unhoused individuals are concentrated within District 3.
“There has been a concerted effort, instead of just saying, ‘I don’t want this in my neighborhood, I don’t want to see it,’ let’s have a plan. Let’s actually have a long term plan to house them and have resources available where they can go,” Bowen said. “You need to have a program that is working in conjunction with the other resources that are available, to make it where it’s not a consistent thing that’s happening, and we actually see progress.”
Dutton agreed housing is a big issue in the district. She said rent should be more affordable, especially for those who can’t afford a mortgage or are not interested in homeownership.
“If you’re still making $7.25 an hour and you’re a two (person) working family, there’s no way you’re going to get a mortgage. And if you don’t want one, you shouldn’t have to be made to get one,” Dutton said. “But you should be able to afford living, a living standard. So you know, I think rentals are just as valuable as owning.”
Dutton, a second-generation Mexican-American, said she wants to see more bilingual resources available in District 3, which has a 41.1 percent Hispanic population.
“The Hispanic community are huge contributors to the economy,” Dutton said. “They are employers, big employers that also contribute to the revenue within the budget for the City of Tulsa. So I would like to see more bilingual resources available, possibly street signage in English and Spanish languages.”
Bowen said voters should choose her to represent District 3 because she has fresh ideas. She said solving problems and making noticeable changes comes down to accessibility.
“I’m accessible. Being accessible is a really big deal, because if you don’t know who to contact, then you’re just going to remain frustrated,” Bowen said. “I’ve seen changes. They’re not the changes I want to see, and there are changes that can be helped by the person that is in office.”
For Dutton, being a city councilor requires referencing data during decision-making processes. Were she to be reelected, she said she could continue working on projects she’s already started.
“I really love data, and without data, I think we’re all just kind of floundering on where real issues and successes are,” Dutton said. “A year and a half isn’t a whole lot of time (…) I’m grateful that I’ve been embraced by my previous predecessors.”
