| State senate | Oklahoma |
|---|---|
| District | 33rd |
| Term start | November 2004 |
| Term end | November 2012 |
| Predecessor | Penny Williams |
| Successor | Nathan Dahm |
| Party | Democratic |
| Birth date | 1965 |
| Birth place | Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stanford University, Dedman School of Law |
| Profession | Attorney, educator, public administration |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Spouse | Bernadette Adelson |
| Office 2 | Oklahoma Secretary of Health |
| Governor 2 | Brad Henry |
| Predecessor 2 | Howard Hendrick As Secretary of Health and Human Services |
| Successor 2 | Terry Cline |
| Term start 2 | 2003 |
| Term end 2 | 2004 |
Tom Adelson is an American politician from Oklahoma. He was an Oklahoma State Senator representing the 33rd Senate District, located in Tulsa County, from 2004 to 2012. Adelson is a Democrat who was first elected in 2004. Prior to his election, Adelson served Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry's first Oklahoma Secretary of Health from 2003 to 2004.
Adelson was the Democratic nominee for mayor of Tulsa in the 2009 election, but lost the general election to Republican nominee Dewey F. Bartlett Jr.
Adelson currently serves as the Vice President for Innovation at The University of Tulsa.[1]
Biography
Before running for the state senate, Adelson served as Oklahoma's Secretary of Health under Governor Brad Henry. He is an adjunct teacher at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, where he teaches political philosophy. He has four children: Emily, Andrew, Sam and Jack. His father is Dr. Stephen Adelson, a Tulsa pediatrician. He graduated from Edison High School, Stanford University and SMU's Dedman School of Law.
State senate
Adelson was first elected in 2004 to replace outgoing Senator Penny Williams. He defeated Republican Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr. by less than 1,000 votes. During the 2007 session, Adelson passed notable health care legislation. Adelson's 'All Kids Act' covers children whose families' income is between 185 and 300 percent more than the federal poverty rate.[2] The expanded Medicaid coverage would help about 42,000 children in Oklahoma gain access to health care. The program signed into law by Governor Henry will be funded by revenue from the increase in the tobacco tax.[3] During his tenure he was the only Jewish member of the Oklahoma Senate.[4]
Leadership roles
In January 2009, Adelson was an Assistant Minority Floor Leader. He is a member of the Business and Labor Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Health and Human Services Committees.
On April 12, 2012, Adelson announced that he will not run for re-election when his current term expires.[5]
2009 Tulsa mayoral election
On July 1, 2009, Adelson announced his candidacy for mayor of Tulsa, after current Mayor Kathy Taylor (D) decided not to seek re-election.[6] Adelson was considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, while 11 candidates sought the Republican nomination, including Dewey F. Bartlett Jr., whom Adelson had narrowly beat in the 2004 state senate election.[7] On September 8, 2009, Adelson received 94% of the vote in the Democratic primary, setting him up to face Bartlett (who got 54% of the Republican primary vote) and two independents in the November general election.[8] In the November 10 general election, Bartlett received about 45% of the vote to Adelson's 36% and 18% for independent Mark Perkins.[9]
Election results
2009 Tulsa mayoral election
Democratic Primary Election September 8, 2009 [10]
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Adelson | 12,588 | 93.86% | |
| A. Burns | 274 | 2.04% | |
| Paul C. Tay Jr. | 192 | 1.43% | |
| Robert Arizona Gwin Jr. | 190 | 1.42% | |
| Prophet Kelly Lamar Clark Sr. | 168 | 1.25% | |
State senate elections
General Election November 4, 2008[11]
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Adelson | 18,311 | 63.14% | |
| Gary Casey | 10,688 | 36.86% | |
General Election November 2, 2004[12]
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Adelson | 15,836 | 51.48% | |
| Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr. | 14,926 | 48.52% | |
Democratic Primary Election July 27, 2004
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Adelson | 3,234 | 52.28% | |
| Tim Gilpin | 2,952 | 47.72% | |
References
- ^ "Executive staff, The University of Tulsa", Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ Jennifer Mock (June 4, 2007). "Governor signs health insurance bills". Oklahoman. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ Barbara Hoberock (June 5, 2007). "Henry signs 2 health laws". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ "Do religious beliefs influence lawmakers' decisions?". The Journal Record. May 27, 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Tulsa senator says he won't seek re-election", Associated Press in The Oklahoman, April 12, 2012.
- ^ P.J. Lassek, "Democratic senator announces Tulsa mayoral candidacy", Tulsa World, July 1, 2009.
- ^ P.J. Lassek & Brian Barber, "GOP battle may mark race: Eleven candidates will face each other in the Republican mayoral primary", Tulsa World, July 19, 2009.
- ^ Brian Barber, "Bartlett, Adelson advance: Two candidates will join ballot with independents", Tulsa World, September 9, 2009.
- ^ Bartlett to be Tulsa's next mayor, Tulsa World, November 10, 2009.
- ^ "2009 Primary Results". Tulsa County Election Board. Retrieved 2009-09-09. [dead link]
- ^ "2008 General Results". State Election Board. Archived from the original on November 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
- ^ "2004 General Results". State Election Board. Archived from the original on 2007-04-02. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
External links
- Senator Tom Adelson - District 33 official State Senate website
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
- Follow the Money - Tom Adelson
- Tom Adelson, A healthy investment National Review, January 26, 2004