Michael Earl Cornett Sr. (born July 16, 1958) is an American politician and former television personality who served as the 35th mayor of
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, from 2005 until 2018. A member of the
Republican Party, he was only the fourth mayor in Oklahoma City history to be elected to three terms
[The City of Oklahoma City]
Mick Cornett
''OKC.gov''. and the first to be elected to four terms.
He also served as President of the
United States Conference of Mayors
The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayors or other chief elected officials. The organization was founded ...
and as national President of the Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO).
He also served as Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Urban Economic Affairs Committee until 2007. In
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
, he was defeated in the Republican runoff by Tulsa businessman
Kevin Stitt
John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2018, defeating Democrat and former state Attorney Ge ...
for the GOP nomination 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 ...
. In
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, Cornett was defeated by
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 Oklahoma gub ...
for the Republican runoff for U.S. Congress.
Early life
Cornett is a native of Oklahoma City. His mother was a teacher and his father was a postal worker. He attended
Putnam City High School, graduating in 1976.
He then attended the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
, earning a journalism degree in television news.
He earned a
Master of Business Administration
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...
from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
.
Journalism career
After graduating, Cornett worked at
KOCO-TV channel 5 (ABC affiliate) for twenty years in news and sports as a sports reporter and sports director, weekend sports anchor, morning/noon news anchor in Oklahoma City.
As a reporter, he covered city politics from 1997 to 1999. In 1999 he started his own video production company, Mick Cornett Video Productions, specializing in jobs for the corporate and legal sectors. Cornett is the co-host of ''The Verdict'', a local Oklahoma City television show discussing legal and social issues.
City council
Cornett was elected to the
Oklahoma City Council in 2001.
He defeated the incumbent City Councilman, Frosty Peak.
Mayoralty

Cornett became the Mayor of Oklahoma City on March 2, 2004. He was re-elected to a second term on March 7, 2006, by an 87.6% margin, the largest in city history. In 2010, he became only the fourth mayor in Oklahoma City history to be elected to a third term, defeating Steve Hunt by gaining 58% of the vote.
In 2014, he became the first mayor to be elected to a fourth term, defeating Ed Shadid with 65.7% of the vote.
Cornett served as an Executive Vice President of Ackerman McQueen from 2009 to 2011, during which the Oklahoma Ad Club named him 2010's "Ad Man of the Year." Cornett came in for some criticism for potential
conflict of interest
A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple wikt:interest#Noun, interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates t ...
as a mayor serving as an employee of a private corporation.
Cornett received an MBA, specializing in management, entrepreneurship and leadership, from NYU Stern School of Business in July 2011.
Cornett's most notable achievements as mayor include the successful lobbying that resulted in Oklahoma City's first major league sports team, the
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
, and the passage of MAPS 3, a $777 million quality-of-life infrastructure program for Oklahoma City.
In 2013, Cornett served as one of six selection committee members for the
Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.
Economic growth
Cornett has been a proponent for urban issues and initiatives such as rapid and mass transit, economic diversification, urban renaissance and civic beautification. Neighborhoods such as
Asia District,
Uptown,
MidTown,
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...
, the
Eastside, and others have experienced an economic revitalization during his tenure.
Downtown Oklahoma City has experienced a continued renaissance since 1993, earning Oklahoma City the moniker "Renaissance City".
In June 2007, the
U.S. Census announced its estimate that Oklahoma City had grown in city population to over 547,000 residents; over 1.26 percent between July 2005 and July 2006. Since the official Census in 2000, Oklahoma City had grown over eight percent according to the Census Bureau, making it the 12th fastest-growing large city (over 500,000 in population) in the United States.
Other recent initiatives have also included his chairmanship of the "Core to Shore" committee of city leaders, and continued job growth in
greater Oklahoma City. Led by almost 2,000 jobs that
Dell
Dell Inc. is an American technology company that develops, sells, repairs, and supports personal computers (PCs), Server (computing), servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, computer peripherals including printers and webcam ...
brought to Oklahoma City, the greater Oklahoma City area gained over 72,000 new jobs in Cornett's first five years in office.
During the
Great Recession
The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009. , compared to other metropolitan areas in the United States, Oklahoma City had one of the lowest unemployment rates, suffered one of the least severe economic downturns, and experienced one of the largest recoveries afterward.
MAPS 3
In December 2009, Cornett led the way to successful voter passage of the
MAPS 3 initiative, which includes eight quality-of-life capital projects to be constructed in Oklahoma City over a decade.
MAPS for Kids
One of Cornett's top priorities was the implementation of
MAPS for Kids. That initiative is responsible for rebuilding or renovating every building in the inner-city school district.
NBA teams
Cornett is widely credited with bringing the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
to Oklahoma City when
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
forced the
New Orleans Hornets
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995
* "New" (Daya song), 2017
* "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
to relocate in 2005. Cornett's behind-the-scenes work prior to Katrina put Oklahoma City in position to become the temporary home. For two seasons, the team played 35 games annually at the
Ford Center.
On December 20, 2007, Cornett announced an initiative to renovate Ford Center in hopes of securing an NBA team. The initiative went to the voters of Oklahoma City on March 4, 2008 and passed by a 62% margin. On July 2, 2008, it became official that the NBA's SuperSonics franchise, headed by local businessman
Clay Bennett, were relocating to Oklahoma City for the 2008–2009 season.
"This City Is Going On A Diet"
Inspired by his own 42-pound weight loss,
on December 31, 2007, Cornett put Oklahoma City on a "diet", launching the web sit
thiscityisgoingonadiet.com He appeared on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...
'' to promote the initiative on January 17, 2008. He also teamed up with
Taco Bell
Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired ...
and local restaurants to promote healthy menu choices. This initiative garnered Cornett an invitation to sit with First Lady
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...
at the 2010 State of the Union address.
Leaving on a high note
One month prior Cornett stepping down as mayor, the City of Oklahoma City received its 8th-straight AAA bond rating from both Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investor Service. Cornett was quoted saying "Our top-notch bond ratings are a reflection of Oklahoma City's sound financial management, and it's good news for Oklahoma City's residents and taxpayers. We understand we have a responsibility to our taxpayers to pursue budgetary practices that allow us to meet or exceed service expectations, and keep our bond ratings high and borrowing costs low."
The month Cornett left office after 14 years as the mayor leading Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City was named the #1 city in the United States to start a business. The #1 ranking was given to Oklahoma City due to high marks in three different categories: Business Environment, Access to Resources and Business Costs.
Awards and distinctions
In 2009, he was named one of the top 10 most powerful Oklahomans by the Oklahoma City Friday newspaper, ranking ahead of the state's two U.S. Senators.
In November 2010, ''
Governing Magazine
''Governing'' is a website, edited and published in Washington, D.C., that covers state and local government in the United States. Originally a national monthly magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print ...
'' named Cornett one of their "2010 Public Officials of the Year" and put him on the cover.
Also in 2010, he was named runner-up of the
World Mayor prize, and also the recipient of the World Mayor Project's 2010 World Mayor Commendation, in recognition of the economic and civic progress of Oklahoma City.
In 2012, ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' named Cornett one of the five most innovative mayors in the United States.
Cornett was the recipient of the 2013 Oklahoma Mayor of the Year Award, presented by the Mayors Council of Oklahoma of the Oklahoma Municipal League.
The American Architectural Foundation awarded Cornett the Joseph P Riley Award, for his contributions to Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Projects, at a gala in Washington, D.C., on March 22, 2013.
Fortune Magazine
''Fortune'' (stylized in all caps) is an American global business magazine headquartered in New York City. It is published by Fortune Media Group Holdings, a global business media company. The publication was founded by Henry Luce in 1929. T ...
released their 2018 list of the "World's 50 Greatest Leaders" list on April 19, 2018. Cornett was ranked as the 25th greatest leader in the world, where Fortune gave credit to his fiscal conservative background for the creativity in leading Oklahoma City's advancements in school revitalization, public transit and downtown improvements.
Other political activities
On May 11, 2006, Cornett announced that he would be running to fill the seat in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
vacated by
Ernest Istook. On August 22, 2006, he was defeated by Lieutenant Governor
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 Oklahoma gub ...
in a GOP run-off election, as Fallin was elected to Congress in the general election.
Following Fallin's decision to run for
governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
in 2010, Cornett was widely considered a possible candidate for the seat, but he decided to run for re-election as mayor.
In 2008, Cornett was scheduled to address the
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...
in St. Paul, Minnesota, but his speech was canceled when reaction to
Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav () was the second most destructive tropical cyclone of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. The seventh tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Gustav caused serious damage and Casualty (per ...
suspended the convention. He returned and addressed the
2012 Republican National Convention
The 2012 Republican National Convention was a gathering held by the Republican Party (United States), U.S. Republican Party during which Delegate (American politics), delegates officially nominated former Governor of Massachusetts, Massachuset ...
.
In 2010, Cornett's Chief of Staff,
David Holt, was elected to the Oklahoma Senate. In 2012, Holt authored the book ''
Big League City: Oklahoma City's Rise to the NBA'', which chronicled Cornett's efforts to bring the NBA to Oklahoma City.
In 2017, Cornett was appointed to sit on the US
DOT's Automation Committee for overseeing self-driving transportation policy.
On February 22, 2017, Cornett announced that he would not seek reelection for a fifth term as Oklahoma City mayor.
On May 31, 2017, Cornett announced his
2018 candidacy for governor of Oklahoma via Twitter. On June 26, Cornett placed first in the Republican primary but did not receive more than 50% of the vote. He advanced to the runoff election on August 28, 2018 which he placed second to Tulsa businessman
Kevin Stitt
John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2018, defeating Democrat and former state Attorney Ge ...
who in November general election was elected as governor.
In business
Cornett became a filmmaker with the release o
"Oklahoma City: The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb"in 2016. The film was produced, written and directed by Cornett who describes the documentary as "...a tale of resilience, exploring how Oklahoma City's turbulent past helped shape its bright, flourishing future." The film takes a look at Oklahoma's history, specifically its economic ups-and-downs with commodities. The focus narrows in on the 25-year period of Oklahoma City history from 1970 to 1995, which saw the rise of the oil boom in the 1970s, the banking and financial crash of the 1980s and also the physical and emotional effects resulted in the bombing of the Oklahoma City
Murrah Federal Building in 1995.
On September 25, 2018, Penguin Random House will release the first book authored by Cornett, titled <
The Next American City/u>. The book is described as "An invigorating look at how American cities are reinventing themselves and redirecting the future of the nation by way of civic engagement, inventive public policy, and smart urban design, ''The Next American City'' is a look at the changes re-shaping American urban life–and a blueprint for those to come." The book borrows the title of a magazine known as
The Next American City, later shortened to
Next City
''Next City'' is a national urban affairs magazine and non-profit organization based in Philadelphia.
First published in March 2003 as a magazine known as The Next American City, Next City promotes socially, economically and environmentally sust ...
which promotes socially, economically and environmentally sustainable practices in urban areas across the country and examines how and why cities are changing. It covers topics such as planning, transportation, urban economies, housing and environmental issues. In 2011, Next City ceased publication of its quarterly print magazine, relaunching in 2012 as a fully digital operation.
Personal life
In 2011, Cornett filed for divorce from his wife of 32 years, Lisa, citing "total irreconcilable incompatibility." The couple has three grown sons: Mike, Casey and Tristan.
Cornett married his second wife, Terri (Walker) Cornett, on November 26, 2014.
Cornett also drew attention in 2020 for one of his hobbies. His collection of Green Bay Packers football cards became ranked number one in the world according to Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) of Newport Beach, California.
Electoral history
;
2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
See also
*
List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
This is a list of Mayor#United States, mayors of the List of United States cities by population, 50 largest cities in the United States, ordered by their populations as of July 1, 2022, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. These 50 cit ...
References
CityMayors.com profileAbout ''The Verdict'' URL accessed March 15, 2006.
ArenaFan Articles by Mick Cornett
External links
*
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornett, Mick
1958 births
20th-century American journalists
American male journalists
Candidates in the 2006 United States elections
Candidates in the 2018 United States elections
Living people
Mayors of Oklahoma City
New York University Stern School of Business alumni
Oklahoma Republicans
Oklahoma City city council members
Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors
Television anchors from Oklahoma City
University of Oklahoma alumni