This is a really important election for Norman, Hickman said, adding that the new mayor will appoint a new city manager and a new city attorney and that he has the necessary experience to do so. Office: Mayor (Norman, OK) Track This Politician . For more information on where, when and how to vote, visit the, Support independent journalism serving OU. I interned for (former President) George W. Bush, and at the state capitol of Kansas.. He won over incumbent Mayor Breea Clark. She cited Norman's low unemployment rate and record sales tax revenue as signsthe city's economy is strong. Hickmans campaign has received$48,670 in contributions, Clark has received$18,781, and Dunn did not raise enough to meet the minimum reporting requirement. She also served on various task forces with Norman Public Schools. Clark broadcast her concession speech to her official Facebook page. Bill Hickman, the current Norman Ward 4 council member, works as an attorney and small-business owner. He said its the key to bringing our community back together., Im proud that my message has been both positive and optimistic, he said. It is vividly clear that she inclines toward the democratic party. Upon graduating from law school and passing the bar exam, I helped to create the Office of Academic Integrity Programs at the University of Oklahoma. Don't knowingly lie about anyone We moved to Norman in 2005 from Wichita, Kansas, and started our family while I was in law school at the University of Oklahoma. I look forward to working with whomever becomes the new mayor to create a better future for Norman.. Stephenson-Leuck, 67, said she jumpedinto the mayoralrace due to thepolice budget cut in 2020. 405-876-9216. Who is rating Clark ? Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. I assume its the DNC agenda, but we dont like that here. Clark was elected mayor in a three-way contest in 2019 after serving on the city council for three years. "Everyone who ran entered the mayoral race had one central goal, and that was to improve the City of Norman. He also serves as an ordained Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at a local church. There was a problem saving your notification. Ruggiers is a former Norman Public Schools teacher, and he said his election shows that the community wanted to give teachers a voice. She called local business closures at the start of the pandemic"devastating" forher practice. Thevote theOklahoma Supreme Court later said violated the state's Open Meeting Actlargely led to the formation of grassroots group Unite Norman and misleading allegations that the council voted to "defund the police. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. It is absolutely possible for us to sell war bonds, not necessarily just stormwater bonds or school bonds, but if you sell war bonds to residents, you save on underwriters fees. Each petition failed to gather enough signatures, Members of a Facebook group opposing Normans COVID response, Clark said she was continually targeted and harassed. After a single term as Norman's mayor, Breea Clark was defeated in Tuesday's runoff election, by a vote of 53.4% to 46.6%. Larry Heikkila has defeated Breea Clark and clinched the position of Mayor in the recent election. OU women's gymnastics: Trautman's 10 helps Soon, Paramedic reunites with tornado victim family, Train ride home turns unusual for county commis, By Mindy Ragan Wood | Transcript Staff Writer, Digging out: Tornado damages home, downs power lines; minor injuries reported, Maverick's brings dive bar feel to Campus Corner, Norman man charged with murder in Lake Thunderbird case, Cleveland County Sheriff's Office identifies inmate who hanged himself, Judge sides with homebuilder in lawsuit against city, Southern Baptists oust Saddleback Church over woman pastor, Cleveland County Detention Center inmate hangs himself, Tornado Coverage: Highway 9 reopening among second day developments. government. E-mail: breea@ou.edu. Were trying to clean water and build roads., endorsement of mayoral candidate Nicole Kish. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Norman Mayor Breea Clark wasn't always certain she would pursue a second term after a tumultuous three years in office. He is a member of the Norman Chamber of Commerce. Kish said she was grateful to supporters, and intends to work with the next mayor. This is hard.. [1] On April 5, 2022, Larry Heikkila won the runoff election and became mayor of Norman, Oklahoma. The married mother of two boys has been praised and vilified for signing Norman's emergency stay-at-home order earlier than most cities and waiting later than other cities to ease restrictions. She currently serves as Vice President of the Mayors Council of the Oklahoma Municipal League and on the Board of Directors for both the Oklahoma Municipal League and the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments. Currently, the mayor is presented as superior to the rest of the council when the mayor should really be more of a collaborative peer who works closely with all of the other members, he said. "We were the first to put a maskmandate in place, the last to remove it, and so I'm very, very proud of how we managed to protect our residentswhile keeping our economy going.". In a news release, she called the visit a "field trip" to watch democracy in action, spurred by reports of election integrity issues in the 2020 presidential election. Phone: (405) 325-2501. Midway Bob, Dr. Kish, Ms. Leuck, and again, mayor-elect Heikkila, I wish you the very best.. . Current Term Ends: 07/01/25. Mayor | City of Norman, OK Information on City Council and Committee Meetings City of Norman, OK Building an Inclusive Community Mayor How Do I? in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005. Reach her atmwood@normantranscript.com or 405-416-4420. I will do everything I can in power to support mayor-elect Heikkila, she said to a crowd of supporters. She is also a proud graduate of the 2018-19 OU Leadership Council class. "I hold the confidence the citizens have given me to bring a change to Norman very serious," he said. He retired as the Command Master Chief, 9th Naval Construction Regiment. Norman voters will cast ballots Tuesday, Feb. 12, to decide which of three candidates will become the next mayor of Norman. Breea Clark (incumbent) Breea Clark Profession: Current mayor of Norman and director of the J.C. Penney Leadership Center at the University of Oklahoma. Janet was employed as a Special Education Teacher for 38 years, most of that time by Norman Public Schools. Be Proactive. SUPPORT US TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $1. Some political observers viewed those results as Heikkila having momentum. If elected, Stephenson-Leuck plans to ask the tribe to build a new, state-of-the-art homeless shelter. If reelected, Clark aims to find solutions to Norman's storm water issues, improve infrastructureand focus on making the community more sustainable and inclusive. During her tenure as mayor, the Norman City Council allocated CARES Act funding to local businesses and vaccine distribution. When asked to provide evidence of her claim,Stephenson-Leuck, who is retired, cited statistics that homelessness and gambling cango hand-in-hand, but she had no Norman-specific data to show the casino is contributing to homelessness in the city. Post Office Box 370 Norman, OK 73070. This is amazing. The mayoral race came down to incumbent Mayor Breea Clark and challenger Larry Heikkila. A political outsider endorsed by Gov. She also supported the city council ordinance requiring masks in public. Snell had served on the school board for more than two decades. Clark also stated a desire to increase the civic engagement of OU students, describing them as student citizens of Norman. At a packed election watch party in Norman on Tuesday night, Heikkila called for a more conservative Norman and encouraged other conservative candidates to run for upcoming City Council seats. Norman Mayor Breea Clark wasnt always certain she would pursue a second term after a tumultuous three years in office. Kishhas litigation pending against several people she says made false statements about her that led her to endure death threats andlose clients and business income. Larry Heikkila celebrates winning Norman mayoral race, Breea Clark As a first-time candidate and a businesswoman not a politician I am proud of the race that we ran. Mayor Clark's police budget-cutting seemed to many as a ME-TOO reaction to the groundswell of DEFUND movements following the death of George Floyd. Larry Heikkila has defeated Breea Clark and clinched the position of Mayor in the recent election. Low near 40F. Heikkila opposed mask mandates and other COVID-19 measures, while Clark had supported them. Current Legislative Committees keyboard_arrow_down. Clark missed the mayoralforum due to a work conflict, but later said in an interviewshe supports fully fundingthe police department. Candidate for Norman mayor hypes morals, oil, war bonds - NonDoc recognition from the Oklahoma State Medical Association, ties to Unite Norman were elected to the council, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Issue Category All . Click to reveal We'd love to hear eyewitness Updated Apr 5, 2022 Mayor Breea Clark continues to deliver her concession speech, saying "she hopes Norman holds Larry Heikkila to the same high standards that she was held to" while in. The incumbent also thanked Thompson for running a clean race. In a recent election she fought against the conservative, so it is certain that she ain't conservative. Clark was elected mayor in a three-way contestin 2019after serving on the city council for three years. Part of that solution should involve more collaboration between rural and urban Normanites, she added. You have permission to edit this article. Norman voters will also vote inNorman City Councilraces on Feb. 12. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge. The number of citizens who supported Clark's ouster was 153-percent greater than the number of citizens who voted to elect Clark mayor in 2019. Weve had issues with deciding is it a flat fee, is it based on water usage, is it based on impervious surface, Clark said. Larry Heikkila ousts Breea Clark as Norman mayor - NonDoc The city also needs to update its master plan for development that reflects how Norman intends to grow, he said. (NonDoc) Support Journalism In the culmination of two years worth of debate over city leadership, Larry. The Voter's Self Defense System - Vote Smart Asked if she still has concerns about election integrity or if she has faith in the 2020 presidential election results, Kish said polling shows people across the country have concerns about election integrity. At one point during the pandemic, I called our city manager (Darrel Pyle) and said, Darrel, I am like 99 percent sure Im not running again.. "Alice" Stephenson-Leuck and "Midway" Bob Thompson. In an interview, Hickman talked about restoring public trust in the City of Norman. "I will be the champion Norman needs to make a positive impact for everyone in our community.". She earned a Juris Doctorate in 2008, and became director of, After beginning her stint in local government as Normans Ward 6 city council member in 2016, Clark, defeated opponents Bill Hickman and Evan Dunn. She also said she wants to help the city prioritize how to spendmillions in federal aid comingfrom the American Plan Act and the $1 trillion infrastructure package. I told everyone I have one more term left in me and then someone else can have all the fun.. Heikkila received 53.39 percent of the vote, compared to 46.61 for Clark, who was seeking her first reelection after winning in 2019. They each spoke about what they believe makes them the best choice for Norman. I have a servants heart and I want to be a voice for the people. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Breea Clark's Political Summary . Previously, he served the citizens of Norman with seventeen years of service as an employee of the City of Norman. She also wants the city to vote on reallocating Norman Forward dollars generated from a 15-year sales tax increase intended to fund quality-of-life improvements across the city. Mayor Heikkila and his wife have two adult children. Citing a study the council commissioned to better address homelessness and identify gaps in prevention programs, Thompson said he wants to follow through on those recommendations. Be Nice. Earlier in the pandemic, some Norman residents criticized Clark for requiring some businesses to close and imposing capacity limits on businesses and public gatherings to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Cockfighting fight turns back time at Oklahoma Capitol, The awkward family affair of Gov. Cheat sheet: Norman mayoral race a clash over city's direction - NonDoc Largest Oklahoma United Methodist church may cut denominational ties. During the Feb. 8 primary, Heikkila and Clark defeated opponents "Midway" Bob Thompson, Dr. Nicole Kish and Alice Stephenson-Leuck. Grant won 54.41 percent of the vote, compared to 45.59 for Hobson. "Because of Mayor Clark, I bet youre going to see the pendulum swinging conservative.". Hickman views it as a way to balance the budget while Clark acknowledged TIFs as a valid economic tool, but that Norman residents wanted it removed. Larry Heikkila Norman OK Mayor Wikipedia: Political Party, Age And Wife Im invested in both [the City of Norman and OU], and so Im going to make sure our negotiations are fair.. OU women's gymnastics: Trautman's 10 helps Soon, Paramedic reunites with tornado victim family, Train ride home turns unusual for county commis, By Mindy Ragan Wood | Transcript Staff Writer, Digging out: Tornado damages home, downs power lines; minor injuries reported, Maverick's brings dive bar feel to Campus Corner, Norman man charged with murder in Lake Thunderbird case, Cleveland County Sheriff's Office identifies inmate who hanged himself, Judge sides with homebuilder in lawsuit against city, Southern Baptists oust Saddleback Church over woman pastor, Cleveland County Detention Center inmate hangs himself, Tornado Coverage: Highway 9 reopening among second day developments. The turnout in Tuesdays election significantly eclipsed the turnout in 2019.