Tulsa’s mayoral election is fewer than four weeks away, and Tulsa’s Young Professionals is pushing younger voters to make their voices heard.
TYPros Chair Daniel Regan said the organization is telling its demographic group not to let decisions be made for them.
"If you care about education, if you care about green spaces, if you care about the arts, if you care about alcohol reform, if you care about topics like transportation, then there's no better place to impact change than in a local election," Regan said.
Downtown development and diversity and inclusion are two of TYPros members top issues, according to a survey the organization conducted. Restaurateur Elliot Nelson and past TYPros Chair Isaac Rocha said both are important ways to bring people into the city.
"What makes downtown great? I think right now it's good," Nelson said. "We need to make it great."
"Inclusive communities are key to attracting Millennials, and that is just a fact," Rocha said.
Education is also among TYPros’ top issues. Law student and former teacher Caroline Guerra said homelessness and poverty affect student success.
"And those kind of issues are definitely within the wheelhouse of our mayor and our city council," Guerra said.
Transportation rounds out TYPros' members' list of priorities. James Wagner with INCOG said transportation costs offset Tulsa’s low cost of living.
"We actually spend more of our percentage of income than they do in San Francisco on those two things combined," Wagner said.
TYPros has been conducting a voter registration drive leading up to tomorrow’s registration deadline. The organization is nonpartisan and will not endorse a candidate.
