G. T. Bynum
40th Mayor of Tulsa
Assumed office
December 5, 2016
Preceded byDewey Bartlett
Tulsa City Councillor for the 9th district
In office
2008–2016
Personal details
Born
George Theron Bynum IV

(1977-08-28) August 28, 1977
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseSusan
RelationsRobert LaFortune (grandfather)
Bill LaFortune (uncle)
Children2
EducationVillanova University (BS)

George Theron Bynum IV (born August 28, 1977) is an American politician and lobbyist who has served as the 40th mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma since 2016. Bynum was first elected to the Tulsa City Council representing the ninth district in 2008 as a Republican and served four terms before running for mayor in 2016.

Bynum was born and raised in Tulsa. He is the fourth member of his family to serve as mayor after Robert J. LaFortune, Bill LaFortune, and Robert Newton Bynum.

Early life and education

George Theron Bynum IV was born on August 28, 1977, to Suzanne LaFortune and George T. Bynum III. He was first grandchild of Robert LaFortune and George T. Bynum Jr.[1] The Bynum family first moved to Tulsa in 1885 with Robert Newton Bynum serving as the city's second mayor. His son, G.T. Bynum Sr., would found G.T. Bynum Co., an oil field equipment firm.[2]

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Bynum graduated high school from Cascia Hall Preparatory School.[3] He later attended Villanova University, where he served as student body president in 1999.[4]

Career

Bynum worked as a staffer for United States senators Don Nickles from 2000 to 2005 and Tom Coburn from 2005 through 2006. In 2006, he returned to Tulsa to work for a real estate auction company, Williams & Williams.[5] In May 2007, he was promoted to director of corporate communications and public affairs for Williams and Williams.[6] He was laid off in 2009, along with a third of the Williams & Williams employees. In 2009, he and a partner, Stuart McCalman, opened a lobbying firm, Capitol Ventures Government Relations, working on behalf of municipalities and businesses.[5] Bynum has been described as a political moderate.[7]

In 2008, Bynum won election to a two-year term representing District 9 on the Tulsa City Council. He was re-elected three times.[5] In 2011, his colleagues appointed him council chairman. He served as chairman through 2012.[8] Bynum ran for mayor of Tulsa in 2016, and defeated Dewey F. Bartlett Jr., the incumbent mayor, in the June 2016 election by a 56 percent to 38 percent margin. By receiving over 50% of the vote, he avoided the August runoff election.[9][10] He was inaugurated as mayor on December 5, 2016.[11] Bynum ran for reelection in 2020 and won outright, again avoiding a runoff election.[12][13] He is the third-youngest person to serve as mayor of Tulsa.[11] Bynum has said that he will not run for a third term for mayor in 2024.[14]

Though the Tulsa Health Department urged Bynum to postpone Donald Trump's June 20, 2020 rally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bynum said that he would not use his emergency powers to stop the rally from happening.[15]

In addition to his work as a staffer and politician, Bynum is the founder of The Greater Tulsa PAC; a political action committee created to support nonpartisan, "pro-Tulsa candidates" for the Tulsa City Council. Jacob Heisten, a registered Republican and former aide to Senator Jim Inhofe, is listed as the PAC's chairman.[16]

In June 2023, severe storms hit parts of Oklahoma that involved hurricane-force winds and tornadic activity that knocked out power for days for more than 100,000 energy customers, mostly in Tulsa, during a severe heat waves which left at least 3 people dead.[17][18] Bynum requested Governor Kevin Stitt to declare a state of emergency, but Stitt was in Paris and unable to declare an emergency from outside the state.[19] Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell was also out of state attending an annual lieutenant governor's conference in Georgia.[20] Once Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat was informed he was the acting Governor, he declared the state of emergency.[21][22] Stitt visited the city six days after the storm and met with Bynum.[23]

Bynum authorized city attorneys to appeal the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit's decision in Hooper v. Tulsa to the United States Supreme Court. The Hooper decision requires tribal citizens to be prosecuted for traffic violations in tribal court instead of municipal court.[24]

Personal life

Bynum and his wife have two children. His second child was born two weeks before he was laid off in 2009.[5]

Robert J. LaFortune, the mayor of Tulsa from 1970 through 1978, is Bynum's grandfather. Bynum's uncle, Bill LaFortune, served as mayor from 2002 to 2006. Bynum is a great-great-grandson of Robert Newton Bynum, who served as mayor from 1899 to 1900.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Mayor Gets Grandson". Tulsa World. August 31, 1977. p. 4. Retrieved August 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Rites Set for Tulsa Pioneer Robert Bynum". Tulsa World. August 30, 1977. p. 3. Retrieved August 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Habib, Nour (October 18, 2015). "Midwest Augustinians celebrating 75th anniversary with Tulsa event: Special event will take place at their school, Cascia Hall". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ Rothfeld, Michael (September 14, 1999). "School Board Candidate In Political Fray At 21 The Gop Tapped Eric Brown For The Coatesville Seat. It's A Natural Next Step For This Villanova Senior". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Wade, Jarrel (May 22, 2016). "Who is G.T. Bynum? A man with deep family roots in Tulsa politics". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Williams and Williams". The Daily Oklahoman. May 27, 2007. p. 38. Retrieved August 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Murphy, Sean (August 22, 2020). "Moderate Tulsa mayor faces fierce political crosscurrents". Associated Press. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  8. ↑ Barber, Brian (November 23, 2012). "Tulsa Council Chairman G.T. Bynum at end of his post: With his chairmanship winding down, he reflects on his record". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  9. ↑ Wade, Jarrel (June 28, 2016). "Voters elect G.T. Bynum as next mayor". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  10. ↑ "GT Bynum Defeats Incumbent Bartlett For Tulsa Mayor". KOTV-DT. June 28, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Matt Trotter, "Bynum, Councilors, Auditor Sworn in at City Inauguration", KWGS, December 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Mayor G.T. Bynum wins re-election as Tulsa mayor". KJRH. September 28, 2021. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  13. ↑ "OK Election Results". results.okelections.us. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Mayor G.T. Bynum's 'GT PAC' has some city councilors wondering what he's up to, and what's his beef". Tulsa World. September 29, 2021. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum says he won't attempt to block Trump rally". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Bynum's new political action committee to support 'Pro-Tulsa Candidates' in 2022 City Council races". Tulsa World. September 28, 2021. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  17. ↑ Sandoval, Edgar; Jones, Judson (June 21, 2023). "Extreme Heat and More Storms Threaten an Already Battered Oklahoma". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  18. ↑ Withrow, Brooke (June 20, 2023). "Third person confirmed dead after severe storms hit Oklahoma". KOCO. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  19. ↑ Osborne, Deon (June 20, 2023). "Gov. Stitt delays declaring state of emergency: Process or politics?". The Black Wall Street Times. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Mayor Bynum hasn't heard from Gov. Stitt, Lt. Gov. Pinnell return to state Thursday". KJRH. June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  21. ↑ Ferguson, Kevin Severin, Tom (June 20, 2023). "Pro Tem Treat signs executive order within hour of finding out he's acting governor". KOKH. Retrieved June 23, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ Bryan, Max (June 22, 2023). "Treat: Oklahoma Legislature 'stands ready' to help in Tulsa's storm recovery". Public Radio Tulsa. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Gov. Kevin Stitt visits Tulsa Friday morning, talked to 2 News". KJRH. June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  24. ↑ Killman, Curtis (June 30, 2023). "City of Tulsa to appeal ticket ruling to U.S. Supreme Court, Mayor Bynum says". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 2, 2023.

See also

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