John Tyler Hammons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Tyler Hammons
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| City Attorney of Checotah | |
| Assumed office January 2019 |
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| 47th Mayor of Muskogee | |
| In office May 19, 2008 – February 20, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Wren Stratton |
| Succeeded by | Bob Coburn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1988 Muskogee, Oklahoma, US |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Courtney Elizabeth Burden |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma |
| Occupation | City Attorney of Checotah, Oklahoma City Attorney of McAllister |
John Tyler Hammons was born on September 4, 1988. He is an American politician who became the 47th mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma. He served as mayor from 2008 to 2012. John Tyler Hammons became famous when he was elected mayor on May 13, 2008. He was only 19 years old at the time! He was a college student at the University of Oklahoma. He won with 70 percent of the votes against a much older former mayor. Hammons was elected again on April 6, 2010. He won in a race with four candidates.
When he was first elected at 19, Hammons was one of the youngest mayors in United States history. After serving two terms, Hammons, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, started studying law. He went to the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2012. From 2015 to 2017, Hammons worked as an assistant attorney general for the Cherokee Nation. In January 2019, he became the city attorney for Checotah, Oklahoma.
Life and Education
John Tyler Hammons was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. This was on September 4, 1988. He is a registered member of the Cherokee Nation. Hammons finished high school at Muskogee High School in 2007. Before his last year of high school, he was a delegate for Oklahoma Boys State. During his senior year, Hammons was the president of his high school's student body. He also led both the Young Republicans and Young Democrats clubs at his school.
After high school, Hammons went to the University of Oklahoma for his first year of college. In the fall of 2008, he moved to Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. In 2010, Hammons enrolled at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. He graduated from there in 2012. Later, Hammons graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He passed the Oklahoma Bar Examination in July 2015. This meant he could practice law.
Becoming Mayor of Muskogee (2008–2012)
Hammons announced he wanted to be mayor of Muskogee on January 29. He officially signed up for the election on February 5. Six people wanted to be mayor, including a former mayor. On election night, April 1, Hammons won the most votes. He got 42% of the votes. Another candidate, Herschel McBride, came in second with 38%. The other candidates shared the rest of the votes.
Because no one got more than half of the votes, Hammons and McBride had to have a second election. This is called a runoff election. On May 13, Hammons won the runoff election with 70% of the votes. This was the most votes any candidate had ever received in Muskogee's history. It was also the biggest win in Muskogee County history. On May 19, 2008, Hammons officially became the 47th Mayor of Muskogee. He was also the youngest mayor the city had ever had.
On November 30, 2009, Hammons announced he would run for mayor again. He had three opponents. On April 6, 2010, Hammons easily won his second two-year term. He received just over 51% of the votes. He won by a lot, beating his closest opponent by 20 percentage points. Hammons won in 17 out of the city's 18 voting areas.
On November 3, 2011, Hammons said he would not run for a third term. He decided to go to law school instead. As one of his last actions, Hammons changed how city council members were elected. Before, everyone in the city voted for all council members. Hammons changed it so that voters only chose the council member for their specific area. In his last speech as mayor in February 2012, Hammons talked about his main achievements. These included getting money for economic growth, improving roads, and promoting tourism. Bob Coburn, who ran against Hammons in 2010, was elected to be the next mayor.
See also
