Lelia Foley-Davis (born November 7, 1942), formerly known as Lelia Foley, is an American politician who served as mayor of

Taft, Oklahoma Taft is a town in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 174 as of the 2020 Census. The locale began as an all-black town on land allotted to Creek Freedmen. It is named for President William Howard Taft. History This com ...

. Elected in 1973, she has been described as the first African-American woman elected mayor in the United States.

Early life

Foley was born in the town of

, located in Muskogee County. She went on to become a librarian at the county's courthouse, and worked to help residents of the town access affordable housing. In January 1973, Foley, a divorced mother of five, surviving on welfare, ran for a spot on the school board of Taft, Oklahoma, an all-black town of 600 people. She lost the election, but shortly thereafter she became inspired by a book on the successful election of A. J. Cooper as mayor of Pritchard, Alabama. Raising $200 from interested parties, she ran for the town’s top job.

Mayor of Taft, Oklahoma

On April 3, 1973, the citizens of Taft elected Foley as mayor. Her election pre-dates that of

Doris A. Davis Doris A. Davis (born circa 1935) is a former mayor of Compton, California, who earned a place in history as the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States. Political career In 1965, 33-year-old Davis defeate ...

, who was elected mayor of

Compton, California Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...

later that year. Despite being described as the first African-American woman elected mayor, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' reported in 2019 that Ellen Craig-Jones, a Black woman, was elected mayor of

Urbancrest, Ohio Urbancrest is a village in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,031 at the 2020 census. Urbancrest is in the South-Western City Schools District. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has ...

in 1971. In the wake of her victory, Foley conferred with Presidents

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

and

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

. Ford anointed Foley as one of "Ten Outstanding Young Women" in 1974. In 1974, Oklahoma named Foley Outstanding Woman of the Year. As mayor, she was credited with helping secure federal

Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the secretary of housing and u ...

funding for affordable housing initiatives. After losing her mayoral seat in the 1980s, she continued to serve her community. Foley, now known as Lelia Foley-Davis, was once again elected mayor in 2000.

State politics

In 2000, she ran for the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's ...

, standing in the Democratic primary in district 13. She placed first in the initial Democratic primary vote for the seat with 35% of the vote, which became open after incumbent Bill Settle ran for Congress. However, she lost the runoff to Allan Harder by a 56% to 44% margin; Harder would narrowly lose to Republican

Stuart Ericson Stuart may refer to: People *Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) * Clan Stuart of Bute, a Scottish clan *House of Stuart, a royal house of Scotland and England Places Australia Generally *Stuart Highway, ...

. In a 2018 speech at

Northeastern State University Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public university with its main campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The university also has two other campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow as well as online. Northeastern is the oldest institution of hig ...

, she stated that her life's dream was to run for

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...

. During the speech, she stated that she wished to meet then-President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

to tell him "Leave the

Dreamers Dreamers or The Dreamers may refer to: Books * "Dreamers", a 1918 war poem by Siegfried Sassoon * "The Dreamers" (play), a 1982 play by Jack Davis * ''The Dreamers'' (novel series), a 2003–06 fantasy series by David Eddings and Leigh Eddings ...

alone".

Legacy and recognition

In June 2022, a portion of a street in Taft, Oklahoma was renamed Lelia Foley-Davis Avenue in her honor. Foley stated in 2018 that she wishes to Lelia Foley-Davis Foundation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foley, Lelia 1942 births People from Muskogee County, Oklahoma Living people African-American mayors in Oklahoma 20th-century African-American women politicians 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century American women politicians Women mayors of places in Oklahoma Oklahoma Democrats 20th-century mayors of places in Oklahoma 21st-century African-American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American politicians African-American women mayors