Greg Robinson (Oklahoma)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Greg Robinson

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 25, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, 2013

Personal

Birthplace

Tulsa, Okla.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Director of family and community organizing

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Greg Robinson ran for election for Mayor of Tulsa in Oklahoma. He lost in the general election on August 25, 2020.

Robinson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Greg Robinson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff in 2013. His professional experience includes working as the director of family and community organizing.

Elections

2020

See also: Mayoral election in Tulsa, Oklahoma (2020)

General election

General election for Mayor of Tulsa

The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Tulsa on August 25, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		G. T. Bynum (Nonpartisan)	51.9	36,727
		Greg Robinson (Nonpartisan)	28.8	20,414
		Ken Reddick (Nonpartisan)	13.8	9,771
	Submit photo	Ty Walker (Nonpartisan)	2.8	1,951
		Craig Immel (Nonpartisan)	1.9	1,313
		Paul Tay (Nonpartisan)	0.4	286
	Submit photo	Ricco Wright (Nonpartisan)	0.3	193
	Submit photo	Zackri Leon Whitlow (Nonpartisan)	0.2	165

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 70,820
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Greg Robinson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Robinson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

"You can't lead the people, if you don't love the people and you can't save the people if you don't serve the people" - Dr. Cornel West

The son of an activist and an accountant, Greg Robinson, II attacks injustice with passion and precision. Like his late father (Greg Robinson, Sr.), "Little Greg" is unafraid to speak up for the oppressed and underserved. However, it is his mother (Debra Kawee Goff Robinson) whose strength and selflessness, despite her physical limitations, inspire Greg's work the most.

A proud Tulsa native, Greg is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School where relationships with teachers and mentors like Dr. Anthony Marshall, pushed him to cultivate his capacity to create change. At Booker T., Greg assisted in founding The Men Of Power Organization, a student-led, male enrichment program that today operates across Tulsa Public Schools. In 2013, Greg earned a Bachelor of Science in History from The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB).

Following college, Greg worked as an organizer on local, state and national political efforts across the country - including President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and Secretary Clinton's 2016 campaign, where managed hundreds of organizers across five different states during the election cycle.

After returning home to Tulsa, Greg helped to start the Community Organizing branch of the Met Cares Foundation in 2016 and helped found Greenwood Leadership Academic in 2017.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• This campaign is not about me, it's about US. It's about every single person who believes that we deserve better than empty promises. That we deserve a city where every person is valued and loved. That we deserve the city we dream of. I know we can build that city if we choose to do it together.
• As mayor, I will never forget why I am here or who I am fighting for. I will never close my door to those who want to meet. I will never assume I know better than the community I was elected to serve. I will always lead with the little boys and little girls from out North, out West, out East, in Hope Valley and across our city front of mind. I will work every day to build a city that lifts them up and puts their futures front and center.
• I lean on the words of Ella Baker, that "strong people don't need strong leaders". I know that building the just, equitable city we dream of will be hard, but it will worth it. Together, we can pass reparations for the descendants of Greenwood. We can pass policies to end systemic racial injustice. We can reimagine what a world-class system of education could look like. We can ensure that no Tulsan goes hungry, homeless, jobless, without healthcare or without the support they need. We can be the former oil capital of the world that chooses to lead the way on clean energy. We can turn big dreams into reality when we work together.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My choice to run for Mayor of Tulsa is rooted in who I am. I have been fighting for change for my whole life. As mayor, I will continue that fight...

For educational equity:
We must create a city that serves and cares for every single child - where our public school and city leaders are able to collaborate in tandem to ensure we have a world class system of education that both cultivates the talent we have here in Tulsa and attracts new talent to our city for years to come.

For economic development:
Tulsa is the home of Greenwood and Black Wall Street. It is a space rooted in economic prominence. As mayor, I will fight for reparations, for equity of opportunity and for building a globally competitive city that works for ALL Tulsans.

For public safety:
Tulsa can be a city that leads the way on policing and criminal justice reform - if our city leaders will listen and work alongside those most affected. We can invest deeply in mental health and addiction services, undo systemic racism in our legal system and ensure that everyone, office and civilian alike, is safe in our city.

For housing and climate justice:
We can rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and invest in green energy and affordable housing opportunities to ensure that every Tulsan has access to a good home, a good job, clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.

For inclusivity:

So that we may be a city where everyone, regardless of race, creed, religion, orientation or identity feels at home.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I grew up in North Tulsa and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. Tulsa is in my bones. After attending college in Arkansas, I have spent my entire career working to bring people together for a common cause: making this world a better place. From 2012-2016, I led hundreds of employees across multiple local, state and national political campaigns. After years of working around the country, I returned to Tulsa because I believe in the city we can be if we work together. In 2017, I helped to start an elementary school in North Tulsa, the first partnership school in the state, because I believed that we must invest in all of our kids. In 2018, I helped to build out and lead the community organizing branch of the Met Cares Foundation and in the two years since we have brought thousands of community members together to create meaningful policy changes to address disparities in our city. I am a consensus builder, a servant leader and a fierce advocate for the city we all love.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

As mayor, my top priorities in serving all Tulsans will be to ensure that our city is one rooted in freedom, justice, equity and safety. The City will pursue a set of policies that will focus on achieving:

1. Inclusive Economic Development

2. Equity in Housing and Public Education

3. Investment in Mental & Public Health

4. Safety of Tulsans Over Politics


All Tulsans should feel welcomed as their full and authentic selves and should have the power and resources to build the life they dream of here.

If elected, together, we will work every day to ensure that every Tulsan has access to a good job, a good home, good schools and effective transportation no matter where they live. Together, we will work to build a Tulsa where, in this midst of this current crisis, no one has to choose between paying their bills and caring for their health. Together, we will work to keep all Tulsans safe through comprehensive and common sense justice reforms. Together, we will implement a comprehensive climate and sustainability plan to protect our air and water while bringing cutting-edge jobs to our city. Tulsa has always been a city grounded in a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship and together we can implement the bold reforms we need to build an equitable and thriving city.

What legacy would you like to leave?

For years I have been standing alongside fellow Tulsans from across the city calling for change.

We've spoken at city council meetings, marched, sent phone calls, emails and letters, canvassed neighborhoods, held press conferences and met in closed door meetings with current elected officials.
And yet, we are still fighting for the same changes: for policing reform, for housing access, for economic opportunity, for an end to food insecurity, for educational equity and more.
Tulsans deserve more than empty words and "listening sessions" or "task forces" that fail to lead to action.
As mayor, I will never lose focus on who I was elected to serve: you, your family and your neighbors.

I will consistently elevate your voice through regular virtual community meetings, I will open up our budgeting process to ensure you have a say in how we spend your tax dollars, I will walk and work alongside you and hold a seat at the table open for you as we move to build a better Tulsa for all of us.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I've Got The Light of Freedom

It highlights the powerful work of the everyday people behind the Civil Rights movement.

I believe deeply in Ella Baker's quote: "strong people don't need strong leaders" and will always value and honor the voice and experience of all Tulsans.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My father passed away when I was in 7th grade and my mother has been battling multiple sclerosis since I was a young child.

Both of them have taught me the importance of loving, serving and fighting for those around you.

It is a phenomenal challenge in losing a parent and seeing another fight an illness, but I know that there are Tulsans across our city who share similar stories of struggle and want nothing more than for a leader to see them, to hear them, to empathize with them and to go to bat for them every single day.

My mother and father raised me to do exactly that and, as mayor, I promise to work tirelessly to create a city that works for every mom, every dad and every child.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

My choice to run for Mayor is rooted in who I am, what I've learned and lost, a righteous anger and an enduring hope in the potential and promise of Tulsa. I believe that a mayor should deeply understand the issues facing all of the constituents they swore an oath to represent. They must be willing to listen, to be pushed, to work alongside the community and to make the difficult decisions that are necessary to make progress.
I'm running for mayor to ensure every Tulsan regardless of their race, religion, orientation, identity, economic status and zip code has a pathway to upward mobility. I'm running so that every child in our city knows that they have the power to achieve their most audacious of dreams - and they can do it right here. I'm running because, on the cusp of 2021, Tulsa must meet this moment and show the world what true reconciliation looks like. I'm running because I believe that, together, we can build a better city for all of us.

Mayors have many responsibilities, which vary from city to city. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your city?

Listening to, working with and walking alongside the people they serve each and every day.

Our current mayor has lost touch with those he took an oath to fight for. He has pushed community members to the wayside and sought to silence their voices and their work. As mayor, every Tulsan would have a seat at the table and every voice would carry value and weight.

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