The race for Tulsa City Council District 1 is headed to a runoff. It’ll feature Vanessa Hall-Harper, who’s held the seat for the past 10 years, and Corinice Wilson, one of Hall-Harper’s four challengers.
The longtime councilor held the lead Tuesday night with about 46% of the vote but didn’t reach the threshold to win another term outright. Wilson, a Tulsa Community College professor and native of Turley, secured about 35% of the vote as of 9:15 p.m. — about a 300-vote difference.
During a campaign watch party, Hall-Harper thanked her supporters but said “the work is now just beginning.”
“We were hoping to get 50% plus one, but we didn’t,” she told supporters gathered at Rubicon.
Greenwood historian Kode Ransom, Oasis founder A.J. Johnson and Kristi Williams with Black History Saturdays were in attendance.
Hall-Harper said although she didn’t win outright, she has been encouraged by the level of engagement among voters this year.
“People are getting involved in our elections. Hopefully this will extend to our state and national elections,” she said. “We came out ahead on the votes tonight but there is still work to be done.”
Wilson held a separate gathering with her supporters at the Historic Big 10 Ballroom. The room was filled with dozens of supporters, like Metropolitan Baptist Church pastor Ray Owens, who were in a festive mood all evening.
Wilson rode that vibe from her entrance to her speech, highlighting what’s next.
“One thing is clear, the people of District 1 have given us the opportunity to keep making our case. Community, collaboration, and change. It is not a slogan,” she said, thanking her supporters. “You remind me again and again that this work is about something bigger than just winning. It’s about serving with a purpose.”
She, like Hall-Harper, acknowledged the work is just beginning.
“We have more work to do. We have more doors to knock, more conversations to have and now we have the opportunity to do so and do so with integrity and civility between now and Nov. 3,” she said.
The other three challengers in the race — Mareo Johnson, Reggie Williams Jr. and Thomas Moore — never posed a serious threat during the night as neither person reached 10% of the vote.
