First salvo fired in Tulsa City Council races as America seeks to unseat Moore

Former school board member Anna America has announced her bid for a seat on the Tulsa City Council.

America, who was recently Communications Director for the Kathy Taylor mayoral campaign, will seek to represent District 7, which is in southeast Tulsa.

She tells KRMG incumbent Arianna Moore is a nice person, but hasn't done much for the district since she took office in December, 2012.

[Hear her full interview with KRMG's Russell Mills HERE]

"Obviously if I thought we were getting the kind of representation that we needed I wouldn't be running," she said.

She says she watches city council meetings and committee meetings, and says she hasn't seen Moore do much.

"You don't see much from her. If you watch those meetings, she almost never asks a question. As far as I'm aware she's never raised an issue, she's never had a proposal she's brought forward. We didn't see her advocating on behalf of this district really on any issues, but if you look say at the capital improvements package that was on the ballot last fall -- I don't think we've had the voice that we need for this district."

Asked about her association with the Taylor campaign and the possibility of partisan politics entering what is supposed to be a non-partisan race, she said people should be careful not to pigeonhole her.

First, she said, "Honestly I don't think it will be as much an issue with voters as it will be with the media. So, if you guys can focus on the issues and the candidates then I think that's what the voters will focus on."

That said, she also noted that "a pothole isn't Democratic or Republican," and the issues raised at City Hall really aren't partisan issues.

Beyond that, she told KRMG, she's actually supported more Republican candidates over the years than Democrats -- including working for them, and writing checks for their campaigns.

"I really don't care (about party affiliations)," she said. "If this is somebody I think will do the right things for my city, then that's who I want in office."