After a decade of service in that office, I . But I actually see it as an advantage. Stephenson-Leuck, 67, said she jumpedinto the mayoralrace due to thepolice budget cut in 2020. First. It looks like Norman was really ready to put a teacher on the school board, Ruggiers said. In April, Norman will vote for a second time on a stormwater utility bond to address flooding and pollution problems. On Tuesday, the total ballooned to more than 24,000. Sworn In: 07/05/22 He credited "a grassroots campaign" who wanted a change. Your IP: She earned a Juris Doctorate in 2008, and became director of OUs JCPenney Leadership Program in 2018. in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005. Norman Mayor Breea Clark wasn't always certain she would pursue a second term after a tumultuous three years in office. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Heikkila received more than 53% of votes, with . The City Charter dictates that if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, candidates who receive the most votes will face an April runoff. 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. 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. For more information on where, when and how to vote, visit the, Support independent journalism serving OU. A proposition that would have raised the base fee charged to Norman residents who use city water services failed Tuesday, capturing just 45.75 percent of the vote. I interned for (former President) George W. Bush, and at the state capitol of Kansas.. "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.". Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Norman Mayor Breea Clark looks up her election numbers during her watch party, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at Blackbird Gastropub. Mayoral and city council elections will take place Tuesday, Feb. 8. Theres no room for political ideology or political party in local government, because were not tackling issues like abortion or gun rights. Thats not who we are. They dont put debt on future generations to repay those bonds back.. 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. Low near 40F. 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. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote inTuesday's election, the top two vote getters will square off in an April 5 runoff election. While the group also endorsed candidates in Wards 2, 4 and 6, none were elected. In the culmination of two years worth of debate over city leadership, Larry Heikkila defeated incumbent Norman Mayor Breea Clark in todays runoff election, which featured significantly more turnout than the citys 2019 race. She cited Norman's low unemployment rate and record sales tax revenue as signsthe city's economy is strong. Previously, Blake has served as an intern reporter, senior news reporter, summer news editor and news managing editor. Its hard to focus on my professional career when the City of Norman requires so much attention. 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. journalism is worth and how to fund the civic good that robust news organizations can generate. Clark highlighted Normans perfect score 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. During the Feb. 8 primary, Heikkila and Clark defeated opponents "Midway" Bob Thompson, Dr. Nicole Kish and Alice Stephenson-Leuck. Gov. SUPPORT US TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $1. I believe in collaboration, positive hands-on leadership, and I think those should be priorities for the next leader of our city, Clark said. Share Background Report Overview of Breea Diane Clark Lives in: Norman, Oklahoma Phone: View phone number Age: 39 Breea Clark's Voter Registration Clark encouraged Norman residents to address the citys challenges and to shop local, regardless of whomever has the job. Clark received 4.45% more of the votes than Heikkila in the primary. Earlier in the pandemic, some Norman residents criticized Clark for requiring some businesses to closeand imposing capacity limits onbusinesses andpublic gatherings to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 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. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, The Norman Transcript recently published analysis of Norman campaign finance reports through Jan. 28. Dunn is the only candidate who does not support the stormwater utility bond. Fighting for the mayoral position of Norman, Oklahoma, Heikkila got around 53% of the total votes which was around 1600 more than what Clark got. A Democrat,Thompson, 65, aims to get national politics out of local politics, create harmony among the city council and bring civility and collaboration to municipal governing, whichhe says should remain nonpartisan. 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 has defeated Breea Clark and clinched the position of Mayor in the recent election. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2008, she started working for the . Dunn stressed oils importance and called several times for residents and businesses to use less of it. "Because of Mayor Clark, I bet youre going to see the pendulum swinging conservative.". Lets work this out so that we can make the town that we want and help me define it, he told supporters. The election results listed online are unofficial until they are certified by the Oklahoma State Election Board. In addition he holds many technical certifications in Disaster Relief Operations, Occupational Safety, and Construction. Mayor | City of Norman, OK Information on City Council and Committee Meetings City of Norman, OK Building an Inclusive Community Mayor How Do I? 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. OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and During her tenure as mayor, the Norman City Council allocated CARES Act funding, Norman remains the largest city in Oklahoma without a dedicated stormwater utility. 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. Mayor Heikkila earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. One of the silver linings of the pandemic is people really did start paying attention to local government more, and regardless of what side you're on, I don't think that's a bad thing, Clark said. I love Norman, Hickman said. Clark faced notable backlash after the Norman City Council voted to, reduce a proposed Norman Police Department budget increase by $865,000. I am grateful and humbled for the votes I received in Norman, Kish said in a prepared statement. The proposition called for the monthly base fee to all customers to be raised from $6 to $7.80 for metered users. Experience: Before her election. 405-876-9216. perm_identityWho exactly is Clark? President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won the electiondespitewidely debunked claims of election fraud spread by Trump and his supporters. The 2020 presidential election spurred a wave of voting laws that some say could restrict access to the polls. Larry Heikkila was elected as the 61st mayor of Norman in 2022. The more we can collaborate, the more we can stretch our dollars to do the most good.. "Therivalry that isset up between the mayor and Unite Norman just looked like there was no end to it.". She also supported the city council ordinance requiring masks in public. racist or sexually-oriented language. I want to thank every candidate, she said. 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. 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. "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. Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. Im really excited about the win tonight, Ruggiers said. 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. 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. At a watch party Tuesday night, Clark told supporters she will weather the loss. The youngest female and first Millennial to hold this seat, she is invested in. In 2019, propositions for stormwater utility bond projects and a stormwater utility fee received 42.62 percent and 39.68 percent yes votes, respectively. KOCO 5 asked the five about COVID-19 mitigation measures, working with a divided City Council, police funding, federal funds for cities and how to address Norman's growing homeless population. Grant, who works at Oscillator Press in Norman and serves on several municipal committees, ran on a platform of bridging the divide between Normans urban core and its outlying areas. (Kyle Phillips / The Transcript). It's time for the drama and the partisan politics to end, she said. 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. Grant won 54.41 percent of the vote, compared to 45.59 for Hobson. I look forward to working with whomever becomes the new mayor to create a better future for Norman.. Midway Bob, Dr. Kish, Ms. Leuck, and again, mayor-elect Heikkila, I wish you the very best.. We believe The She also previously served as interim Pre-Law Club Advisor and was a member of the 2018-2019 OU Leadership Council class. As the only non-incumbent candidate who has served on the city council before, Thompson said his two terms representing Ward 1from 2005 to 2009will help him lead the council without the learning curveother candidates might face. It was an election both candidates fought on battleground issues facing Norman, from increasing police funding to boost staff levels to economic development and quality of life projects to retain families and attract tourism to the city. Some have argued my being a staff member at the university is a detriment, Clark said. Norman residentCasey Holcombrecently filed a lawsuit against Hickman on the grounds of free speech violations. [1] On April 5, 2022, Larry Heikkila won the runoff election and became mayor of Norman, Oklahoma. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the runoff election will take place Tuesday, April 5. She also serves as director of the J.C. Penney Leadership Program in the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma.

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