PROFILE: Adelson for Mayor

By John Durkee

Tulsa, OK – TULSA, Okla. (AP) A state legislator has decided to join the race to become the next mayor of Tulsa.

Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, announced his run Wednesday morning, saying he wants to focus on smart development for the state's second-largest city and build unity with the City Council.

Adelson and at least three others are vying to succeed Kathy Taylor, who announced in June that she wouldn't seek another term.

Among the reasons Taylor cited for abandoning a re-election bid was a desire to steer Tulsa through the effects of an economic downturn without the politics of a campaign being involved.

Besides the 43-year-old Adelson, Democrat Robert Gwin Jr. and Republicans Dewey Bartlett Jr. and Clay Clark have announced their candidacies.

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Information from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.