OKLAHOMA CITY — As the United States enters a contentious 2026 election year, a bipartisan coalition of mayors is calling for a recommitment to civility and a rejection of political violence — beginning with a pledge first signed in the heart of Oklahoma City.
On Sept. 26, 2025, at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, the site of the deadliest act of domestic political violence in modern U.S. history, more than two dozen mayors signed what would become known as The Oklahoma City Declaration.
Framed by the memory of the 1995 bombing that killed 168 people, the declaration was designed to serve as a national recommitment to the democratic values of pluralism, compromise, persuasion, and the rule of law.
OKC Mayor Holt leads effort
Mayor David Holt of Oklahoma City, who currently serves as president of the United States Conference of Mayors, spearheaded the initiative In September. Since then, the declaration has gained momentum across the country.
As of the end of 2025, 230 U.S. mayors representing communities in 41 states and Puerto Rico have signed the declaration, pledging to condemn political violence, avoid dehumanizing rhetoric, and lead their cities with civility — especially in times of political disagreement.
“The purpose of this declaration is to reaffirm our commitment to democracy and to demonstrate that political leadership should be anchored in respect and restraint,” Holt said during the initial rollout.
10 principles
The document (see below) outlines 10 principles, including rejecting political violence in any form, using respectful language for those with opposing views, refraining from false or inflammatory information, and recognizing shared humanity across ideological lines.
“Mayors are on the front lines of daily governance — we see the consequences when political discourse breaks down and when violence is used to settle differences,” Holt said.
The timing of the initiative — launched in the lead-up to a pivotal election year — has amplified its relevance. Several signers pointed to increased threats of violence, growing mistrust in democratic institutions, and online disinformation as forces undermining civil society.
The declaration asserts that America’s strength lies in its democratic experiment: a system built not on unanimity, but on negotiation, dissent, and peaceful resolution. It urges leaders to view each other not as enemies, but as fellow citizens seeking a better future.
In recognizing that politics has grown more divisive and even dangerous in recent years, the declaration calls for a collective step back — away from inflammatory rhetoric and toward reasoned debate.
‘… traumatic and tragic outcomes ….’
“That scar in downtown Oklahoma City reminds us of the traumatic and tragic outcomes of political violence,” the document reads. “With this declaration, we reject political violence and recommit to the American experiment.”
The full list of 230 signers in the document below includes mayors from cities large and small, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Cleveland, and Boise, as well as Oklahoma municipalities such as Edmond, Moore, Stillwater and Broken Arrow.
The document remains open for additional mayors to sign in the months ahead.
As 2026 begins, the declaration serves not only as a symbolic act, but as a public commitment to lead with principle — offering a counterpoint to rising polarization and setting a tone for local governance grounded in mutual respect and democratic ideals.
USCM-FINAL-The-Oklahoma-City-Declaration-Oct-28-2025
Brett is the founder, and editor in chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He continues to contribute reporting and photography to the efforts of the publication as well as leadership in developing support.
