Karen Keith (born 1954) is an American politician and former newscaster who has served as the Tulsa County Commissioner for the 2nd district since 2008. In August 2023, she announced she would retire from the county commission to run in the 2024 Tulsa mayoral election.
Karen Keith | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Keith in 2024 | |
| Tulsa County Commissioner | |
| Assumed office 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Randi Miller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1954 Muskogee, Oklahoma, U. S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Oklahoma State University |
| Known for | Newscaster, politician |
| Website | https://karenkeith.org/ |
Early life and career
editKaren Keith was raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and graduated from Muskogee High School in 1972. She attended Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1976. After graduation, she spent 26 years in broadcasting. She worked at KJRH for 21 years. She worked as an anchor, reporter, executive producer, and host of "Oklahoma Living”.[1]
Political career
editKeith became Director of Community Relations and Vision implementation for Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune in 2002. She was elected as the Tulsa County Commissioner for the 2nd District during the 2008 election.[2] She ran for Mayor of Tulsa in the 2024 Tulsa mayoral election, but lost the runoff election to Monroe Nichols.[3]
Electoral history
edit| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe Nichols | 18,729 | 33.10 | |
| Karen Keith | 18,457 | 32.62 | |
| Brent VanNorman | 18,019 | 31.84 | |
| Casey Bradford | 823 | 1.45 | |
| John Jolley | 366 | 0.65 | |
| Kaleb Hoosier | 105 | 0.19 | |
| Paul Tay | 86 | 0.15 | |
| Total votes | 56,585 | 100.00 | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe Nichols | 76,300 | 55.62% | |
| Karen Keith | 60,873 | 44.38% | |
| Total votes | 137,173 | 100.00 | |
References
edit- ^ "OHS Board of Directors Karen Keith". okhistory.org. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "District 2: Karen Keith". tulsacounty.org. Tulsa County. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ Canfield, Kevin; Simmons, Mike (November 5, 2024). "Monroe Nichols wins in convincing fashion to become Tulsa's 41 mayor". Tulsa World. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "OK Election Results". Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ "November 5, 2024 Unofficial Results". results.okelections.us. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved November 6, 2024.