John Tyler Hammons

Infobox Mayor
name = John Tyler Hammons


imagesize = 200px
caption = Mayor John Tyler Hammons
order =
office = 47^th Mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma
term_start = May 19, 2008
predecessor = Wren Stratton
birth_date = birth date and age|1988|9|4|df=y
birth_place = Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA
party = Republican
nationality = American
children =
alma_mater =
occupation = Politician, Student


website = [http://www.hammonsformayor.com Hammons for Mayor.com]
[http://www.cityofmuskogee.com/shell.asp?pg=304 Office of Mayor Hammons]
footnotes =

John Tyler Hammons (born September 4, 1988) is the mayor of Muskogee, a city of about 40,000 people in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. He was elected on May 13, 2008, as a 19-year old freshman at the University of Oklahoma [cite news
last = Associated Press
first =
coauthors =
title = College Student, 19, Elected Mayor of Oklahoma City of 38,000
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Fox News
date = 2008-05-14
url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,355537,00.html
accessdate = ] and was sworn in on May 19, 2008. Hammons was elected after winning 70% of the vote in a runoff election against 70-year-old, three-time former Muskogee mayor Hershel McBride. Hammons replaced outgoing mayor Wren Stratton, who decided to not seek re-election after one term.

At the age of 20, Hammons is among the youngest mayors in United States history. Hammons is also Oklahoma's youngest at-large delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention. [cite news
last = Associated Press
first =
coauthors =
title = Muskogee's teen mayor
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = MSNBC
date = 2008-05-21
url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24671030/
accessdate = ]

Early life and education

Hammons is a fourth generation Oklahoman and a member of the Cherokee Nation. Born and raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he attended public schools and graduated from Muskogee High School in the Class of 2007. Before beginning his senior year, Hammons was a delegate to the Oklahoma Boys State where he would campaign to serve as Governor of Boys State. During his senior year, Hammons was MHS student body president and was president of both MHS Young Republicans and MHS Young Democrats. [cite news
last = The Oklahoman
first =
coauthors =
title = 19-year-old mayor puts Muskogee on the map
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = The San Diego Union-Tribune
date = 2008-05-17
url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080517/news_lz1n17read.html
accessdate = ]

After graduating, Hammons attended the University of Oklahoma for his freshman year of college. While there, he selected to major in political science and public administration. He transferred to Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma in the fall of 2008. [cite news
last = Friedman
first = Emily
coauthors =
title = Teen Mayor Talks Politics, Roommate
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = ABC News
date = 2008-05-15
url = http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4855333&page=1
accessdate = ]

Mayoral campaign, 2008

Hammons publicly declared his intent to run for mayor of Muskogee on January 29 and officially filed for office on February 5. [cite news
last = Smoot
first = D. E.
coauthors =
title = Three more file to run for mayor
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Muskogee Phoenix
date = 2008-02-06
url = http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/archivesearch/local_story_036235046.html
accessdate = ] By the end of the filing date, Hammons was one of six candidates vying to be mayor, including a former Muskogee mayor and a former Muskogee city councilor. Hammons was the first mayoral candidate to challenge his opponents to public debates. [cite news
last = Smoot
first = D. E.
coauthors =
title = Mayor candidates want debates
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Muskogee Phoenix
date = 2008-02-22
url = http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/archivesearch/local_story_053002143.html
accessdate = ]

During the campaign and throughout the debates, Hammons cited more government accountability and transparency and an open dialogue between city leaders and citizens as his top priorities. The local newspaper in Muskogee, the "Muskogee Phoenix", endorsed Hammons's opponent Hershel McBride, a three-term former Muskogee mayor and twenty-year city councilor, in the mayoral race.

On election night on April 1, Hammons won the popular vote by coming in first place with 42% of the vote. Hershel McBride came in second place with 38% of the vote. The remaining 20% was divided among the four other candidates. With the general election failing to deliver a candidate with an absolute majority, the Muskogee City Charter required Hammons and McBride to face one another in a run-off election to determine who would serve as mayor. Vote tallies showed Hammons carried the east side of Muskogee while McBride carried west side. [cite news
last = Smoot
first = D. E.
coauthors =
title = Mayor's race down to two
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Muskogee Phoenix
date = 2008-04-02
url = http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/archivesearch/local_story_093003515.html
accessdate = ]

Hammons and McBride would debate each other three more times before the May 13 run-off election. McBride stressed his experience while Hammons campaigned on his ability to generate change for Muskogee. Two matters that began major campaign issues was how each candidate saw the role of the mayor in the Muskogee city government and each candidate's willingness to disclose their campaign finances. [cite news
last = Smoot
first = D. E.
coauthors =
title = Mayor hopefuls faceoff
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Muskogee Phoenix
date = 2008-04-29
url = http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/archivesearch/local_story_120231641.html
accessdate = ] Of the fifteen candidates seeking office for the 2008 election cycle, Hammons was the only one to disclose who his donors were. Such disclosure was not required under Muskogee law, and was completely voluntary. Through the disclosure, it was revealed that Hammons's chief backers were doctors and teachers. The "Muskogee Phoenix" again endorsed McBride over Hammons in the run-off election.

On the day of the run-off election, May 13, both Hammons and McBride spent the day trying to convince all undecided voters. By night's end, Hammons had captured 70% of the vote. [cite news
last = Smoot
first = D. E.
coauthors =
title = Youth trumps experience: 19-year old wins mayoral race
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Muskogee Phoenix
date = 2008-05-14
url = http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/archivesearch/local_story_135104711.html
accessdate = ] Hammons's election is memorable for more reason other than his age: he is the first candidate to carry all precincts, he won the largest popular vote of any candidate in Muskogee history, and won by the largest margin of victory in Muskogee County history. In other races, only one incumbent retained his seat with three new city councilors also winning their races. Former Muskogee City Manager Clay Harrell said he hadn't seen such a shakeup in the city government since 1952. [cite news
last = Smoot
first = D. E.
coauthors =
title = New faces to be sworn in
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = Muskogee Phoenix
date = 2008-05-18
url = http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/archivesearch/local_story_139232511.html
accessdate = ]

On May 19, 2008, Hammons was officially sworn in as 47th (and youngest) Mayor of the City of Muskogee. During the campaign, Hammons was assisted by a political campaign staff of both young and old, with 70-year old Jack Harrison, a Muskogee businessman and veteran educator, as his campaign chairman and Jordan Stevens, the (then) 27-year old mayor of Oktaha, as his campaign manager. Volunteer staffers were mainly Hammons' friends from Muskogee High School.

Election history

See also

* List of the youngest mayors in the United States

References

succession box
before = Brad Henry
Governor of Oklahoma
title = United States order of precedence (while in Muskogee, Oklahoma)
years = as of 2008
after = Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

Persondata
NAME = Hammons, John Tyler
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = American and Oklahoman student, politician, mayor, and young leader
DATE OF BIRTH = September 4 1988
PLACE OF BIRTH = Muskogee, Oklahoma
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =