Five wards, five endorsements and one plea to calm down, Bartlesville
Andy Dossett | The Wiley Post
Oct 26, 2026
Editorial endorsement: This article reflects The Wiley Post's editorial position and is separate from its independent news reporting.
Before we get into The Wiley Post's Bartlesville City Council endorsements, I have to ask: Is anyone else worn out by this election?
Seriously. When did this become the end-all, be-all election for the soul of Bartlesville?
Last time I checked, we were voting to fill five seats on the City Council. You know, that largely thankless, sometimes painfully boring job that pays less than four bucks an hour.
Judging by some of the campaign material, you'd think we were electing the next speaker of the House.
Somewhere between the polished campaign graphics, patriotic messaging and increasingly urgent warnings about our community's future, we've managed to turn a municipal election into what feels like the final battle for Western civilization.
Can we all remember what we're actually doing here?
We're electing five people to help govern Bartlesville. And by govern, I mean serve.
Serve the residents of Bartlesville. Listen to them. Represent them. Make decisions that improve their community.
We're looking for servant leaders, not auditioning defenders of freedom for the next constitutional convention.
Is this election important? Absolutely.
Worth paying attention to? Without question.
But if your preferred candidate loses, I promise the republic will survive until the next council meeting. Because somebody will still have to approve the minutes and review the budget.
Local government isn't always exciting. It rarely produces a memorable campaign slogan.
Although I do like "Make Council Meetings Boring Again."
Nobody needs to build a national political movement around a municipal election when one of local government's pressing questions might be whether Sooner Park Pool needs another water slide.
I mean, I'm not opposed to another water slide. I just don't think we need to consult our pocket-sized constitutions to vote on it.
Now, about these endorsements.
Newspapers have a long tradition of endorsing candidates. Somewhere along the way, that tradition became tangled up with partisan politics, campaign spending and the idea that a publication's endorsement is supposed to tell readers how to vote.
That's not what we're doing here.
None of the candidates endorsed by The Wiley Post financially support this publication. None asked me for an endorsement. None were consulted about these decisions.
Trust me, if they knew what I was planning to write, some might have asked me not to.
These decisions reflect my reporting, conversations, observations and the considerable amount of time I've spent watching Bartlesville's municipal government operate.
And you don't have to agree with me — I don't always agree with me.
Please consider these endorsements one more data point as you decide who deserves your vote.
Read the candidates' answers in our election guide. Examine their experience. Reach out to them. Ask questions. Challenge their ideas. Challenge mine, too.
As you can see, I actually put my name on what I write, and my contact information is readily available.
But beneath all the humor, I genuinely care about what happens to Bartlesville.
This is the town where I'm raising my kids. I want it to be a place they're proud to call home, and more importantly, a place they'd want to come back to someday.
That matters a whole lot more to me than which political faction gets to declare victory on election night.
I'd love to see us come together as a community, no matter the results.
Will that happen?
Have you been on Facebook lately? No chance.
But maybe we start small.
So, with the understanding that we're electing city councilors rather than defending the nation from an invading army, let's talk about the people whose experience and approach to public service have stood out to me.
Ward 1: Michael Colaw — the radical idea of acting like an adult
First, I have to get something off my chest.
Michael Colaw is my friend.
Or at least I consider him a friend. He might not feel the same way, which would make this whole thing incredibly embarrassing.
Now that I think about it, he never texts to ask how my day is going. It's always me reaching out to him — I may need to reevaluate this relationship.
Anyway, just because I consider Michael a friend doesn't automatically mean he gets my endorsement. I have a friend named Kyle who, if he ever decided to run for City Council, I would happily tell you would make a terrible councilor.
Sorry, Kyle, stick to the bunny slopes.
So why Michael?
Well, for starters, gosh darn it, he's a nice guy.
Look at that smile. That's a nice smile.
Of course, having a nice smile isn't exactly a qualification for public office. If it were, that tenth dentist would have no shot.
What matters is what I've seen firsthand while serving alongside Michael on nonprofit boards and watching him serve on city committees.
He listens. He considers the information in front of him. He works through disagreements without making everything personal.
That might sound boring, but boring can be a wonderful thing in municipal government.
I've sat through numerous city budget workshops and meetings where staff and councilors discuss which projects deserve funding, which can wait and which simply aren't financially practical.
Those discussions require more than strong opinions. They require someone willing to weigh personal preferences against the community's needs.
Someone who understands that just because you want something doesn't necessarily mean Bartlesville needs to pay for it.
And sometimes, the best idea in the room belongs to someone else. Or me, but I’m not allowed to speak during the meetings.
Michael has shown that self-awareness through his community involvement. He's been willing to do the work, participate in the process and help move things forward without turning every disagreement into a controversy.
That's what I mean by calling him a servant leader.
A City Council meeting isn't Congress, and a budget workshop isn't a televised hearing on Capitol Hill.
Nobody needs to deliver a dramatic closing argument before voting on paving the pathfinder.
The job involves reviewing proposals, understanding costs, asking questions and making decisions that will affect residents long after the campaign is over.
Michael's background serving on local boards and committees speaks directly to those responsibilities.
His priorities include responsible budgeting, operational efficiency and effective municipal government. And I can't believe I have to add this, because it should be a bare minimum requirement for public office, but Michael will treat people with dignity and respect. Even when they disagree with him.
He understands you don't have to turn every discussion into a national ideological showdown to care about how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Sometimes the responsible thing is to read the packet, ask a good question, listen to the answer and make a sensible decision.
Leave the sound bites for Congress; let's not make our chambers webcast the new C-SPAN.
One downside to electing Michael is that we could start seeing a bald-man caucus on the council — as a person of hair, I have concerns.
For Ward 1, The Wiley Post endorses Michael Colaw.
Ward 2: David Austin — not my buddy, but he knows his bonds
Since David Austin isn't my friend, I'll try to tone down the humor.
No promises.
David brings years of civic involvement to the Ward 2 race, including service on local boards and committees and participation in the city's bond proposal process.
A new facility needs a construction budget. Then it needs maintenance. Infrastructure improvements have to be weighed against other needs. Borrowing money involves repayment plans, and those plans eventually become real numbers attached to real taxpayers.
David has helped develop and explain public investment proposals to Bartlesville residents.
He understands that a city can be fiscally conservative and still recognize that roads, water systems, public facilities and essential services cost money.
Bartlesville voters have repeatedly considered and approved bond packages and capital improvement sales taxes. That doesn't mean every proposal deserves approval. It means residents have shown a willingness to evaluate public investments rather than automatically reject them.
David has experience with that process.
He doesn't strike me as someone who shoots from the hip or floats grand ideas simply because they sound good on a campaign website.
There's nothing wrong with thinking big. But before we start drawing up plans for the next multimillion-dollar municipal project, somebody should probably ask what it costs, whether we actually need it and how we're going to pay for it.
Preferably in that order.
David also brings longstanding ties to Bartlesville and a record of service that extends beyond any single neighborhood or interest group.
City Council members must consider the entire community, including residents whose priorities may differ from their own.
It means listening to people, considering information from city staff and recognizing that the most exciting idea isn't necessarily the most practical solution.
Sometimes the best contribution a councilor can make is knowing which questions to ask before committing millions of dollars.
David also has a background in journalism, which brings another perspective to the council. Having worked in the Fourth Estate, he understands the importance of asking questions, seeking information and holding public institutions accountable.
And as someone who’s doing exactly that, I appreciate having people in government who understand why those questions matter.
But what stands out most about David isn't what he says he wants to do.
It's what he's already done.
Public service isn't something you suddenly discover when you decide to run for office. It can begin years earlier, in committee meetings, on nonprofit boards and through the often-unnoticed work of helping a community make decisions.
David has put in that work.
Campaign promises tell us what a candidate hopes to accomplish. A record of service gives us something more substantial to examine.
David has demonstrated his commitment to Bartlesville through years of community involvement.
And in an election season full of ambitious promises, there's something refreshing about a candidate whose qualifications don't require much imagination.
For Ward 2, The Wiley Post endorses David Austin.
Ward 3: Jim Curd — audacity to be reasonable
I've watched Mayor Jim Curd serve Bartlesville through some increasingly contentious council meetings.
And one of the things that stands out is that he doesn't seem to believe every disagreement requires a declaration of war.
Jim has served as vice mayor and mayor, bringing considerable experience to a council that has navigated political divisions and some very strong opinions.
In my observation, he's approached those challenges with patience, humility and a willingness to listen.
He's also championed quality-of-life improvements that serve residents with very different interests.
Pickleball. Golf. Baseball. Skateboarding.
Not everyone participates in those activities.
And I'm reasonably confident Jim isn't spending his weekends at the skate park perfecting a kickflip.
If he is, pics or it didn't happen.
But that's part of what makes his approach to public service stand out.
A city councilor doesn't have to personally enjoy every public amenity to recognize its value to the residents who do. Jim doesn't need to be passionate about every activity to support opportunities for others to enjoy them.
Because Jim is passionate about Bartlesville.
As cliché as it sounds, he genuinely cares about this town.
And I've seen that reflected in how he approaches his responsibilities.
Jim has repeatedly demonstrated humility and integrity on the council. I've watched him take the lead when he understands an issue and defer to others when they bring more expertise to the discussion.
That's a quality we don’t see as often in politics anymore.
Local government requires people who can make decisions with incomplete information, seek out expertise and balance competing priorities.
And, shocking as it may sound, it requires knowing when you don't know something.
It also requires understanding that different residents want different things from their city, and those interests deserve consideration even when they aren't your own.
Jim's experience shows in how he approaches those responsibilities. He doesn't just grease the squeaky wheel or cater to whoever is shouting the loudest. He draws on his own experience and the collective knowledge of those around him to make decisions that serve the entire community.
And if he ever lands that kickflip, The Wiley Post will be there to cover it.
With medical professionals standing by.
For Ward 3, The Wiley Post endorses Jim Curd.
Ward 4: Aaron Kirkpatrick — somebody check his caffeine intake
If there's one thing nobody can accuse Aaron of, it's being a passive participant in city government.
Aaron arrived on the council with energy.
A lot of energy.
In my opinion, too much energy.
Let's just say it's the kind of energy that can turn an ordinary agenda item into a discussion nobody saw coming.
If memory serves me right, they even implemented time limits on council meetings around the time he joined.
I'm not saying those two things are related. I'm just saying the timing is interesting.
Aaron has been outspoken, willing to challenge established practices and occasionally enthusiastic about ideas that strike me as more ambitious than practical.
I've disagreed with him. I've questioned some of his proposals.
A lot — like, seriously. Ask him.
And there have been meetings when I suspect everyone in the room would have appreciated a slightly shorter discussion.
But here's the thing about Aaron.
For all that energy, all those ideas and all those conversations that occasionally make me wonder whether he has an off switch, I've also watched him demonstrate something increasingly rare in politics.
The ability to change his mind.
I've literally watched Aaron talk himself out of a position he initially supported after gathering more information.
He'll start with an idea, ask questions, consider the details and sometimes conclude that what sounded great at first might not be so great after all.
A politician receiving new information and adjusting his position accordingly — somebody tell Congress we got a fix for the gridlock.
Aaron also understands that supporting an idea's merits doesn't necessarily mean supporting how someone proposes to implement it.
He can believe a project has value while questioning its timing, cost or potential unintended consequences.
Sometimes his answer is essentially, "Yes, but not yet."
Aaron can recognize that even a good idea can become a bad decision if you don't think through how it will work.
I've watched him explain his votes, weigh competing considerations and show a willingness to compromise without abandoning what he believes is right.
That level of thoughtfulness and maturity can get overlooked when someone has enough enthusiasm to power a small municipality. So trust me when I say Aaron has a gift for discernment. But don’t tell him I said that.
Aaron's service has another side that deserves a spotlight.
Residents have repeatedly told me that when they have a problem with city government or struggle to get an answer, they contact Aaron.
According to those residents, he generally helps them get a result, or at least an explanation.
I can't argue with that.
City Council service isn't limited to voting on agenda items or coming up with new ideas. Residents also need representatives who answer questions, return messages and help them navigate a municipal government that can sometimes feel like it was designed by someone who really enjoys paperwork.
Aaron has demonstrated a willingness to engage directly with constituents, including people who disagree with him.
He's not particularly shy about explaining or defending his positions, either.
Again, ask him. He genuinely enjoys talking with citizens about all levels of government.
But that accessibility is really important in local government. So does his willingness to listen, reconsider and help people find answers.
And then there's his seemingly endless supply of ideas.
I swear Aaron must sit at home thinking of new things the city could do.
Some people unwind by watching television.
I picture Aaron staring at the ceiling at 11 p.m., suddenly sitting upright and saying, "You know what Bartlesville needs?"
And somewhere, a city staff member gets an unexplained chill.
Also, Aaron knows not every one of those ideas is practical. He is aware some need to spend a little more time in the oven.
But that doesn’t stop Aaron from expressing his vision. I appreciate that Aaron is willing to think outside the box, be bold and have the humility to know when to speak against his own ideas.
Municipal government is, by its nature, a fairly cautious operation. Budgets, regulations, procedures and a whole lot of reasons can keep something from happening tomorrow.
And much of that caution is necessary.
But there's value in having someone on the council who's willing to ask, "Why not?"
Someone who brings fresh ideas into the conversation, even if those ideas eventually get revised, delayed or set aside.
That kind of thinking balances the more deliberate, conservative pace of municipal government.
Aaron's enthusiasm can be exhausting — seriously, where does it come from? Lauren, you are a saint.
But when you combine that energy with his accessibility, open-mindedness and willingness to think through a decision's consequences, you get a councilor who brings something valuable to the table.
When Aaron is involved, you're going to need a bigger table.
For Ward 4, The Wiley Post endorses Aaron Kirkpatrick.
Ward 5: Trevor Dorsey — strong, silent type (Terms and Conditions Apply)
And now we come to Trevor Dorsey, the strong, silent, stoic council member.
Unless you talk to him in person or over the phone.
In that case, clear your schedule.
Look, this guide is long enough already, so we're going to pull an on-the-dais Trevor, not an in-person Trevor.
I'll keep it brief.
Trevor has been involved in Bartlesville community activities, including youth sports and work with families and residents well beyond Ward 5.
He's involved. He shows up. He puts in the time.
And once again, we're talking about a community member who saw an opportunity to serve and stepped forward.
Political positions and campaign slogans only get someone so far. Eventually, every public official faces a decision that a party platform doesn't conveniently explain.
And a party platform shouldn't be treated as the answer to every question. Otherwise, why bother electing officials when we could simply consult the almighty platform?
Perhaps we could put a copy on the dais and save everyone the trouble.
Trevor has demonstrated his conservative principles through his approach to governing, not through political oaths or grand declarations.
I've also appreciated Trevor's approach during contentious council meetings.
He doesn't seem particularly interested in taking the bait every time someone tries to turn a discussion into a political spectacle.
He listens, considers the issue and lets his votes speak for themselves.
That doesn't mean silence is always the answer. Residents deserve explanations for important decisions, too. But there's a difference between explaining a vote and delivering a speech simply because the microphone is on.
Trevor's years on the council and his involvement throughout Bartlesville provide residents with a record to examine.
And while he may not be the loudest person on the dais, anyone who's ever called him knows that doesn't mean he has nothing to say.
It just means he's saving the extended version for the phone call.
For Ward 5, The Wiley Post endorses Trevor Dorsey.
We are on the same team
When the campaign signs disappear, and we reach that awkward moment when a candidate who lost still has a billboard rented for the rest of November — yikes — and the arguments on Bartlesville Talk of the Town #2 move on to something else, we'll still have a city to run.
Budgets will need approval. Roads will need maintenance. Water infrastructure will need management. And residents will still need answers.
The people elected to City Council will have to work together, including with colleagues they disagree with.
They'll have to listen to city staff, consider competing priorities and make decisions that won't always please everyone.
And the rest of us need to remember something, too.
We're all on the same team.
This isn't us versus them. It's us versus us.
In baseball, you can't have the pitcher win the game while the first baseman loses it.
The team either wins or loses together. We are a team.
A win for Bartlesville is a win for all of us. A loss for Bartlesville is a loss for all of us.
So when the election results come in, one group of candidates will have won, and another will have lost. But whether Bartlesville wins or loses won't be decided on election night.
We'll find that out slowly over the next two years.
We'll see whether our elected officials can disagree without becoming enemies, compromise without treating it as surrender, and work together without worrying about which political faction gets the credit.
A divided council might still accomplish a few things in the short term. But if every decision becomes another battle, and every disagreement becomes another reason to distrust our neighbors, the long-term cost will be far greater than any single project or policy.
Because the goal isn't for our side to win Bartlesville. It's for Bartlesville to win.
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