After five months of forums, social media debates and an influx of dark money, north Tulsa voters have spoken by re-electing Vanessa Hall-Harper to her District 1 City Council seat for a sixth consecutive term.
Hall-Harper took on four challengers before eventually defeating Corinice Wilson in Tuesday’s runoff, garnering 51.2% of the vote — a 216-vote margin of victory.
“Dark money did not win. Dark money did not prosper,” Hall-Harper told supporters at her Tuesday night watch party at Rubicon, which included fellow councilors Lori Decter Wright and Laura Bellis.
“I want to thank the people of District 1 who came out and voted, who did not fall victim to the lies of the powerful institutions in this country. A lot of money was dropped into District 1, unheard of,” she continued.
Hall-Harper thanked voters for deciding “based on my record, not on lies.”
“For 10 years, you have entrusted me with something that I have never taken lightly. You’ve trusted me to be your voice at City Hall,” she said. “I never went to City Hall to be friends with the power structure. I went to City Hall to represent the people that sent me there.”
Hall-Harper became emotional throughout her victory speech and dedicated the win to her mother, who passed earlier this year on Mother’s Day.
She said part of her mission as a councilor is to “stand up, speak out and fight for District 1.”
“I didn’t run to be everybody’s favorite councilor,” she said. “I ran because I was tired of seeing north Tulsa treated like an afterthought.”
As it became clear that she had lost the election, Wilson thanked her supporters while saying the work for the incumbent will not stop with the end of the campaign.
“I hope they’re having a great time because tomorrow the work begins. The work will not stop. The work will not stop,” Wilson said from her watch party at Big 10 Ballroom.
“Proof is in the pudding because we believe in accountability,” she added. “You can’t tell us you gonna bring us another grocery store out south. We need one on 56th Street North. You can’t tell us we need another incubator. We need more employers in District 1.”
Voters first elected Hall-Harper in 2016. Before running for office, she made her career as a public health advocate and worked for the Tulsa Health Department.
Throughout this year’s campaign, she touted successes such as the revitalization of B.C. Franklin Park, her advocacy for the creation of the Greater Tulsa Area African-American Affairs Commission and helping to bring Oasis Fresh Market to a community long in need of fresh food options.
Her detractors, many living further north from the Historic Greenwood District, agreed with Wilson’s sentiment, sharing that they felt their communities had been left behind in the development and growth. They told The Eagle the district needed more grocery stores, gathering places and increased code enforcement on neglectful property owners.
Between the number of people running against her and the mystery behind the political attack ads, Hall-Harper told The Eagle this was her most challenging election yet.
With another two-year term secured, Hall-Harper promised to continue pushing for progress in the district, telling supporters “the work continues, the legacy continues and our community is still worth fighting for.”
“To the people who voted for someone else, I want you to know I respect your right to make your own decision. That’s democracy,” she said. “But I hope we can all agree on one thing: North Tulsa is worth fighting for but not just during this election season, not just when the cameras are rolling, not just when somebody wants our vote. Every single day.”
