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.. Part of that solution should involve more collaboration between rural and urban Normanites, she added. I look forward to April 5.. NORMAN Although the four mayoral candidates challenging Norman Mayor Breea Clark span the political spectrum, they all agree public safety fundingwould be theirtop budget priority upon taking office. Kish said she was grateful to supporters, and intends to work with the next mayor. Clear skies. I love Norman, Hickman said. Larry Heikkila was elected as the 61st mayor of Norman in 2022. Prior to his election as mayor, he served as the Chairman of the Excise Board and Equalization Board, Vice-Chair of the Tax Roll Correction Board and as a Member of the Industrial Authority for Cleveland County. The conservative candidatehas been criticized for being in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, for a rally led by former President Donald Trump, although Kish says she was nowhere near the U.S. Capitol when a pro-Trump mob stormed the building. In-person absentee voting takes place Thursday and Friday, Feb. 3-4. Because weve got a lot of major issues and difficult issues we will be facing. government. Kish, 50, a cofounder of Unite Normanandlocal optometrist who has owned and operated her own practice for more thantwo decades, has made boosting police funding a centerpiece of her campaign. To achieve this transformation, the management of it must be pragmatic, productive and visionary, and must redefine Norman into a city of excellence. Theres no room for political ideology or political party in local government, because were not tackling issues like abortion or gun rights. Norman, OK 73019-4004. [2] General Results [ edit] Heikkila is a 26-year Navy veteran. He said he wants to rebuild public confidencein the city council and bring backcivilizeddialogue and respectful disagreementto local politics by working with all sides of an issue to find compromises. e-mail: mayor@NormanOK.gov, Vital Information: "We're still in the middle of this crisis,and there's no one better equipped to keep us going forward in our recovery,with an optimistic view to the future," Clark said. Midway Bob Thompson swept up 18.90% of the votes, while Nicole Kish gained 12.50%; Alice Stephenson-Leuck obtained 0.14% of votes. Mayoral and city council elections will take place Tuesday, Feb. 8. Box 370, Norman 73070 Phone: 405-876-9216 Phone: 405-366-5402 e-mail: mayor@NormanOK.gov Vital Information: Sworn In: 07/05/22 Current Term Ends: 07/01/25 Performance & security by Cloudflare. Whoever is at the helm of the ship doesnt need a learning curve, she said last month. Clear skies. Once she returned from the nation's capital, Kish said she was harassed, stalked and doxxed by "leftists" that called her practice numerous times a day for weeks on end, leading her to hire off-duty Norman police officers as security. Breea Clark is Of Counsel at WhitbeckBennett. Im really excited about the win tonight, Ruggiers said. On today's date in 1911, record cold temperatures replaced record warmth on the same day. She said her experience in guiding Norman through the COVID pandemic and directing funding from federal sources, like the CARES Act and federal grants, will also be vital as Norman looks to emerge from the pandemic. Long-term maintenance and staffing of such facilities could pose an obstacle for the city, Clark said. Every election cycle, someone will point out I started out in Norman as a registered Republican, Clark said. Votes . Each petition failed to gather enough signatures or was invalidated by duplicate signatures. Clark said the election was not about her nor was it about her opponent it was about improving Norman. She addressed her relationship with the university in an interview with NonDoc. Citizen efforts to force a recall election of Norman Mayor Breea Clark have fallen short, yet the recall effort also showed broad public displeasure with Clark's performance. She represented her city in the 4th class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership initiative and is currently a fellow in the VV Engage Global Fellowship with Vital Voices. I find it sad that local government has the lowest voter turnout, because the decisions we make on the second and fourth Tuesday at the city council chambers impact Normanites lives way faster and more directly than any decisions you're going to see at the state and federal level. "These people messed with my livelihood, and that is cancel culture and that should never happen in the city of Norman," Kish said. He and his wife Janet were married in 1976, and moved to Norman from Tulsa in 1978. 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. Its about long-term water quality and supply, its also about our stormwater drainage pipes, which we have never looked at, so therell be lots of replacement, and then lots of maintenance.. There arent just parts of Norman, little pockets, having this issue. She serves on Normans ABLE Board, and continues to champion opportunities for the disabled. Mailing Address: P.O. Norman voters have chosen Larry Heikkila to be the city's next mayor, preliminary election reports indicated Tuesday. Helen Grant won the Norman City Council Ward 4 seat Tuesday, defeating opponent Gale Hobson. UPDATED: Heikkila edges out Clark in mayoral race. She . "We were the first todeclare a state of emergency," she said. I look forward to working with whomever becomes the new mayor to create a better future for Norman.. Thompson said he jumped into the mayoral race because he figured the only way to stop the political divisiveness inNorman was a change in leadership. "I am humbled, and so very honored the citizens of Norman have chosen me to become Normans next mayor," Heikkila said. The vote occurred in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May 2020. "I know I can't force the nearby casino (to pay), but I would march up there and say, 'you're contributing tohomelessness in Norman by your presence here,'" she said. Clark received 36.46% of the. NORMAN, Okla. - Larry Heikkila has won the runoff race for Norman mayor, defeating incumbent Breea Clark.An unofficial vote count shows that Heikkila won 12,999 votes (53 percent) to Clark's . We'd love to hear eyewitness Clark said the issue remains too important to continue administering band-aid solutions. There was a problem saving your notification. Heikkila said he wants the city council to focus on bread-and-butter municipal issues,such as police, fire, roads, bridges, sewerand trash pick up. During his service, he served four years in the Submarine Force, and twenty two years as a US Navy Seabee. I interned for (former President) George W. Bush, and at the state capitol of Kansas.. We believe The City of Norman, 201 W Gray St,Norman, OK 73069, Information on City Council and Committee Meetings. Previously, Blake has served as an intern reporter, senior news reporter, summer news editor and news managing editor. With offices around the country, including in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida, you can choose the right location for you. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. If elected, Thompson said he wants to drop the political temperature by changing how the mayor's office is presented. state. Norman, OK 73070. Potential affordable housing solutions under consideration now include single-room occupancy spaces near the intersection of Robinson Street and Berry Road. I have a servants heart and I want to be a voice for the people. Members of a Facebook group opposing Normans COVID response sent Clark death threats online in May 2020, and Clark said she was continually targeted and harassed online throughout the pandemic. Kevin Stitts endorsement of mayoral candidate Nicole Kish is a wildly inappropriate breach of municipal governments non-partisan nature, Clark said. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the runoff election will take place Tuesday, April 5. Her challengers in the nonpartisan race are Nicole Kish, Larry Heikkila, A.E. He also touted his experience as a small business owner and attorney, saying he had the tools to negotiate contracts and stand up for his client when the need arises. He moved to Norman in 1978 and was a longtime City of Norman employee who now sits on several Cleveland County citizen boards. Issue Category All . The future of our community and the future of our state is not something I'm willing to risk. As mayor, he said he would deliver on projects people had voted for. Gender: Female. Clark faced notable backlash after the Norman City Council voted to, reduce a proposed Norman Police Department budget increase by $865,000. (The office) came at great personal cost to me, Clark told The Daily. First off, the defunding of the police department, they managed to truly deflate our wonderful police department that used to be a premier agency in Oklahoma, Heikkila said last month. 405-876-9216. perm_identityWho exactly is Clark? Heikkila opposed mask mandates and other COVID-19 measures, while Clark had supported them. He said that the failure of city government to deliver on the Norman FORWARD project, including the construction of a new senior center, had eroded public trust. Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. or anything. Clark missed the mayoralforum due to a work conflict, but later said in an interviewshe supports fully fundingthe police department. Law School:University of Oklahoma College of Law, J.D., 2008. When it comes to my experience as the incumbent, this is the most unique situation our city has been in in a century, Clark said. "If you have a city that has good public safety, there isn't a homeless issue, the crime isn't going up, your city is going to prosper," she said. "Alice" Stephenson-Leuck and "Midway" Bob Thompson. Click on the video above to hear what . By July 2020, the group attempted to trigger a recall election for Clark and several Norman city council members. Clark and Hickman were united on the removal of the University North Park TIF. Im voting no on all of them because we have bypassed, I think, the opportunity to turn the funding source for the implementation of those programs to be derived from resident investments. Breea Clark is originally from Wichita, Kansas, where she graduated with her B.A. Mayor Heikkila earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. After nearly deciding she would surrender the mayorship after a single . I want to thank everyone for putting their name on the ballot, she said. As one of the common refrains among candidates, police funding is likely to be top of mind when Norman residents head to the polls Feb. 8. accounts, the history behind an article. Ruggiers picked up 64.17 percent of the vote, compared to Snells 35.83. While some of us had different opinions of what means, I thank all of the candidates for their dedication and their love for the City of Norman," he said. 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. The Norman Transcript recently published analysis of Norman campaign finance reports through Jan. 28. It appears, for now, that voters wanted someone from the establishment on both sides. 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. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Norman Mayor Breea Clark looks up her election numbers during her watch party, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at Blackbird Gastropub. The more we can collaborate, the more we can stretch our dollars to do the most good.. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. I dont make partisan decisions, because partisan politics dont fill potholes. In 2019, propositions for stormwater utility bond projects and a stormwater utility fee received 42.62 percent and 39.68 percent yes votes, respectively. In the Norman community, she served on the Norman City Council from 2016-2019 representing Ward 6 in NE Norman and currently serves as its first Millennial Mayor. What tribal leaders are saying about Stitt inauguration. Were not your typical city that just has an urban feel to it if you look at our map, it goes way past Lake Thunderbird, Clark said. Grant won 54.41 percent of the vote, compared to 45.59 for Hobson. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge. Theyve taken the force from 180 to 150, and their salaries are really low. Weve made a lot of progress in the last three years, and were just getting started. government. She also completed the 2018-19 Oklahoma Municipal Leagues Community Leadership Development class and founded the Norman Eastside Business Association. I give this to God.. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. One of her top issues is addressinghomelessness. received 42.62 percent and 39.68 percent yes votes, I know theres a candidate (Bob Thompson), trying to say that we shouldnt be red or we shouldnt be blue, and I absolutely agree, Clark said. "We had stumbled into this real combative scenario here in town," he said. If youre able, please Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. As mayor, Dunn said his first priority would be for people to understand the need to conserve oil and fossil fuels in society. This is amazing. The City has deviated tremendously from the mission of a municipal government, and has begun focusing its efforts on small segments of the population," he said in a news release. The citys unique position as the only Oklahoma municipality required to vote on the creation of a public utility poses a challenge for city officials to create an easily understandable, equitable funding solution, Clark said. After withstanding a recall attempt in 2020 and coming under fire from some residents for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clark, a Democrat,is vying for a second three-year term on the nine-member city council. Clark said she had not heard from other candidates, but was working to contact them. 405-876-9216. Who is rating Clark ? online throughout the pandemic. She also serves as a member of the Oklahoma Municipal League Board of Directors and the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments Board of Directors. If reelected, Clark aims to find solutions to Norman's storm water issues, improve infrastructureand focus on making the community more sustainable and inclusive. The city also needs to update its master plan for development that reflects how Norman intends to grow, he said. As a first-time candidate and a businesswoman not a politician I am proud of the race that we ran. I would like to create a rural commission to educate the city folk, if you will, on issues facing our rural community because I dont know what its like to have livestock and run a farm as my profession, and I dont pretend to know. In addition to her role with the City of Norman, she serves as the Director of the JCPenney Leadership Center in the Michael F. Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma. She also served on various task forces with Norman Public Schools. Norman Mayor candidate Larry Heikkila watches as election numbers come in Feb. 8 during his watch party for the general election at Red Rock Canyon Grill. I believe its a citizen-based solution to a city-wide problem.. 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. 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. Thats not who we are. Some Norman conservatives are hopeful this election could lead to a sea change in city leadership, especially after two Republicans with ties to Unite Norman were elected to the council over the summer. Clark was elected mayor in a three-way contestin 2019after serving on the city council for three years. The 2020 presidential election spurred a wave of voting laws that some say could restrict access to the polls. Your IP: I will do everything I can in power to support mayor-elect Heikkila, she said to a crowd of supporters. Share Background Report Overview of Breea Diane Clark Lives in: Norman, Oklahoma Phone: View phone number Age: 39 Breea Clark's Voter Registration It looks like Norman was really ready to put a teacher on the school board, Ruggiers said. 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. Saying Heikkila's years of public servicemake him the "stable, experienced leader Norman needs right now," the Norman Fraternal Order of Police endorsed the conservative candidate who has vowed to "rebuild" the city's police and fire departments. Click to reveal After that, I am not at all opposed to these bond sales as an alternative or adjunct approach. Office: Mayor (Norman, OK) Track This Politician . Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, I am grateful and humbled for the votes I received in Norman, Kish said in a prepared statement. Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, Heikkila received 53.39% of the votes, beating incumbent Breea Clark. 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%. Janet was employed as a Special Education Teacher for 38 years, most of that time by Norman Public Schools. Be Nice. for Clark and several Norman city council members. The two candidates made their cases to voters in a final push to get out the vote. Mayor Breea Clark will face Larry Heikkila in a runoff after neither candidate captured a majority of the vote Tuesday, preliminary election results indicated. (They asked), Why would you want the progress youve made to be undone, Clark said. 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. Her mayoral tenure became defined largely by the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide policing debate. Were trying to clean water and build roads.. At a watch party Tuesday night, Clark told supporters she will weather the loss. Clark encouraged Norman residents to address the citys challenges and to shop local, regardless of whomever has the job. Low near 40F. The 2022 Norman, Oklahoma, mayoral election was held on February 8, 2022, with Larry Heikkila and Breea Clark going in the runoff. racist or sexually-oriented language. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Breea is registered to vote in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. Municipal actions and municipal policies can change the way Oklahoma brands itself and how Oklahoma can go from being one of the least-desirable states to being a leader in shaping our foreign policy and shaping our domestic policy, Dunn said. Were trying to clean water and build roads., endorsement of mayoral candidate Nicole Kish. Heikkila was endorsed by Cleveland County Commissioners Darry Stacy and Harold Haralson, the local fraternal order of police and the firefighters union, among others. In the race are incumbent Breea Clark, Bob Thompson, Dr. Nicole Kish, Larry Heikilla and Alice Stephenson-Leuck. Weve never addressed this, ever. "Adequately funding itjust seems obvious.". You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Her mayoral tenure became defined largely by the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide policing debate. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Together they owned a small glass business on Main Street for four years. In his campaign announcement, Heikkila chided the council for its focuson addressing homelessness. 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You have permission to edit this article. on the 2021 Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index a measure of how supportive municipal governments are of their 2SLGBTQ+ residents as a notable accomplishment of her term. Ruggiers is a former Norman Public Schools teacher, and he said his election shows that the community wanted to give teachers a voice. An example is our animal welfare shelter, Clark said. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. 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. I think accountability is always good, and voter education. is a wildly inappropriate breach of municipal governments non-partisan nature, Clark said. She was endorsed by Sallys List and the Red Earth Group, Normans Sierra Club affiliate. Cockfighting fight turns back time at Oklahoma Capitol, The awkward family affair of Gov. 13h. Post Office Box 370 Norman, OK 73070. Before receiving her J.D. Here's how they could affect voters in future elections. Phone: 405-366-5402 recognition from the Oklahoma State Medical Association, ties to Unite Norman were elected to the council, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In that race, 13,068 total votes were cast. E.W. Lets work this out so that we can make the town that we want and help me define it, he told supporters. He retired from the City of Norman in April, 2014. that is degrading to another person. A total of 22,712 voters cast ballots, with 8,281 for Clark, 7,269 for Heikkila, 4,292 for Thompson, 2,838 for Kish and 32 for Leuck, preliminary results from the Oklahoma State Election Board showed. Phone: (405) 325-2501. She also previously served as interim Pre-Law Club Advisor and was a member of the 2018-2019 OU Leadership Council class. 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 would like to be added to the WB's monthly newsletter, "A Family Matter". A graduate of the University of Oklahoma's law school anddirector of OU'sJ.C. Penney Leadership Center, Clark decided to run for reelection because she believes she's the best person to continue guiding Norman through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.