Heikkila got 32 percent of the primary vote, and Clark received 36.5 percent. With offices around the country, including in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida, you can choose the right location for you. 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. While the decision still resulted in an overall budget increase for NPD, the meeting encouraged the formation of Unite Norman. They dont put debt on future generations to repay those bonds back.. We'd love to hear eyewitness 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. Clark said she stands by her handling of the pandemic that earned her recognition from the Oklahoma State Medical Association. Analysis Efforts in Norman, Oklahoma, to recall Mayor Breea Clark and councilmembers Kate Bierman, Alison Petrone, Sereta Wilson, and Stephen Holmam were initiated in July 2020. [1] On April 5, 2022, Larry Heikkila won the runoff election and became mayor of Norman, Oklahoma. The two candidates made their cases to voters in a final push to get out the vote. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stretch those federal dollars, build partnerships and collaborate to solve long-standing problems in our community.. Reach her atmwood@normantranscript.com or 405-416-4420. OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and Then consider helping fund our endeavors. For more information on where, when and how to vote, visit the Cleveland County Election Board website. 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. Dunn is the only candidate who does not support the stormwater utility bond. At a mayoral forum held by the Norman chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police last month, the candidatesvowed toprioritizepublic safety funding after the Norman City Council, including Clark, in 2020 approved a cut to the proposed police budget an issue that has embroiled the city ever since. Ruggiers picked up 64.17 percent of the vote, compared to Snells 35.83. Gender: Female. 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. City officials have also consulted with Griffin Memorial Hospital which sits on state-owned land under the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services about constructing multifamily affordable housing. Potential affordable housing solutions under consideration now include single-room occupancy spaces near the intersection of Robinson Street and Berry Road. 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. Her campaign for a second term, she said, is focused less on restating commitments made in her first three years and more on goals she will pursue, if reelected. (The office) came at great personal cost to me, Clark told The Daily. Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. Heikkila is a 26-year Navy veteran. Kish was endorsed by Unite Norman, a group that formed in the summer of 2020 to restore police funding after the council reallocated $865,000 from the Norman Police Departments proposed budget increase. 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. Voting rights and elections: How new state laws could affect you. 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. Ultimately, despite what many have characterized as a year of polarizing local politics, Clark said she is grateful more Normanites have been interested in local participation. They each spoke about what they believe makes them the best choice for Norman. If reelected, Clark aims to find solutions to Norman's storm water issues, improve infrastructureand focus on making the community more sustainable and inclusive. Larry Heikkila has defeated Breea Clark and clinched the position of Mayor in the recent election. Stephenson-Leuck said she isnot accepting campaign contributions, and was relying on a series of public mayoral forums to promote her campaign. Post Office Box 370 Norman, OK 73070. Gov. 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. OK firm says some groups get special treatment in managed care bids. I will do everything I can in power to support mayor-elect Heikkila, she said to a crowd of supporters. Im invested in both [the City of Norman and OU], and so Im going to make sure our negotiations are fair.. Norman voters have chosen Larry Heikkila to be the city's next mayor, preliminary election reports indicated Tuesday. I am not in favor of the school bond, Im not in favor of any of the transportation bonds. "I am humbled, and so very honored the citizens of Norman have chosen me to become Normans next mayor," Heikkila said. She is also a proud graduate of the 2018-19 OU Leadership Council class. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the runoff election will take place Tuesday, April 5. Weve never addressed this, ever. Email Us Now; 800-516-3964 . Thompson, who has owned and operated the Norman eatery Midway Deli for 36 years, is mounting an intraparty challenge against Clark. Heikkila opposed mask mandates and other COVID-19 measures, while Clark had supported them. In-person absentee voting takes place Thursday and Friday, Feb. 3-4. After nearly deciding she would surrender the mayorship after a single term, Clark said support shes received from community leadership inspired her to run again. Here's how they could affect voters in future elections. Norman remains the largest city in Oklahoma without a dedicated stormwater utility. Clark received 4.45% more of the votes than Heikkila in the primary. Its very clear that everyone wants to keep moving in a positive direction.. Click on the video above to hear what . Eventually, her supporters in city government and the community at-large led her to reconsider. If they appreciate that, it is an immediate change in how they think about their suburban homes.. Norman voters selected him to lead a transformation of our community. After beginning her stint in local government as Normans Ward 6 city council member in 2016, Clark defeated opponents Bill Hickman and Evan Dunn in the 2019 mayoral election with 51.43 percent of the vote. Breea Clark, Larry Heikkila make final cases to voters ahead of Norman mayoral runoff election Ari Fife, senior news reporter Apr 3, 2022 Updated Apr 4, 2022 0 Mayoral incumbent Breea. "We were the first todeclare a state of emergency," she said. Be Truthful. During the Feb. 8 primary, Heikkila and Clark defeated opponents "Midway" Bob Thompson, Dr. Nicole Kish and Alice Stephenson-Leuck. Clark said the issue remains too important to continue administering band-aid solutions. She cited Norman's low unemployment rate and record sales tax revenue as signsthe city's economy is strong. Ill really start digging into the budget, Ruggiers said. There was a problem saving your notification. Former Mayor Breea Clark Don't knowingly lie about anyone each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. "These people messed with my livelihood, and that is cancel culture and that should never happen in the city of Norman," Kish said. Like Clark, Hickman has dealt with his own public backlashafter using his role asmoderator in a Ward 4 Facebook page to delete comments he judged as personal attacks. If elected, Thompson said he wants to drop the political temperature by changing how the mayor's office is presented. 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. Clark graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005 and then received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma . 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. Because weve got a lot of major issues and difficult issues we will be facing. At a watch party Tuesday night, Clark told supporters she will weather the loss. Be Proactive. In that race, 13,068 total votes were cast. After a decade of service in that office, I . I look forward to April 5.. I believe its a citizen-based solution to a city-wide problem.. 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. 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. 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. I think accountability is always good, and voter education. He also serves as an ordained Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at a local church. As an employee he served as the City of Norman Street Supervisor, then as a Personnel Analyst, and finally as the Safety Manager. Breea Clark is the 60th Mayor for the City of Norman. Midway Bob, Dr. Kish, Ms. Leuck, and again, mayor-elect Heikkila, I wish you the very best.. In 2019, propositions for stormwater utility bond projects and a stormwater utility fee. Evan Dunn, a community activist and former teacher, attempted to set himself apart from his opponents by discussing moral problems in Norman. We make a whopping $100 a month to do this, so its certainly not for the money. or anything. 210.65.88.143 Mayor Breea Clark pursues second term, prioritizes homelessness, stormwater, encouraging voter participation, The Wichita, Kansas natives Norman ties began in 2005, when she moved to Oklahoma to attend the OU College of Law after receiving a bachelors degree in political science at Wichita State University. 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. She also supported the city council ordinance requiring masks in public. He won over incumbent Mayor Breea Clark. Clark was elected mayor in a three-way contest in 2019 after serving on the city council for three years. #okwx #texomawx. racist or sexually-oriented language. He won over incumbent Mayor Breea Clark. Larry Heikkila has defeated Breea Clark and clinched the position of Mayor in the recent election. In the end, Clark survived the recall effort but could not prevail against Heikkila. Issue Category All . Im really excited about the win tonight, Ruggiers said. 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. "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. While the decision still resulted in an overall budget increase for NPD, the meeting encouraged the formation of Unite Norman. in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge. The mayoral race came down to incumbent Mayor Breea Clark and challenger Larry Heikkila. Newcomer Alex Ruggiers defeated longtime incumbent Dan Snell in the race for Norman Public Schools Board of Education Office No. Mostly we just need to assure the public that they can trust Norman Public Schools. Numerous polls show most Republicans agree with Trump's falseclaim that the election was stolen. He also recently chaired thecitys Charter Review Committee. Don't Threaten. Largest Oklahoma United Methodist church may cut denominational ties. 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. Low near 40F. 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. Her challengers in the nonpartisan race are Nicole Kish, Larry Heikkila, A.E. Department: JCPenney Leadership Program One group, Unite Norman, attempted to recall Clark later that year, falling short of the required number of signatures required to trigger a recall election. [1] On April 5, 2022, Larry Heikkila won the runoff election and became mayor of Norman, Oklahoma. Stephenson-Leuck, 67, said she jumpedinto the mayoralrace due to thepolice budget cut in 2020. Janet was employed as a Special Education Teacher for 38 years, most of that time by Norman Public Schools. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Norman, OK 73070. However, there is no clear answer about her affiliation. Every election cycle, someone will point out I started out in Norman as a registered Republican, Clark said. He retired as the Command Master Chief, 9th Naval Construction Regiment. 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. She serves on Normans ABLE Board, and continues to champion opportunities for the disabled. (Kyle Phillips / The Transcript). Helen Grant won the Norman City Council Ward 4 seat Tuesday, defeating opponent Gale Hobson. for Clark and several Norman city council members. There was a problem saving your notification. 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 . Mayor Breea Clark will face Larry Heikkila in a runoff after neither candidate captured a majority of the vote Tuesday, preliminary election results indicated. news. If passed, the city would be able to allocate more resources to make infrastructure improvements to stormwater conveyance and collection systems. Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. 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. Breea serves as the Mayor of Norman, the 3rd largest city in the state of Oklahoma. Dunn advocated for a Ward-by-Ward, door-by-door approach to inform people of oils value. Clark was elected mayor in a three-way contestin 2019after serving on the city council for three years. Low near 40F. He serves at the Cleveland County Detention Center and at Mission Norman as a Chaplain endorsed by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Were trying to clean water and build roads., endorsement of mayoral candidate Nicole Kish. Clark received 36.46% of the vote to Heikkilas 32.01%. online throughout the pandemic. Previously, Blake has served as an intern reporter, senior news reporter, summer news editor and news managing editor. is a wildly inappropriate breach of municipal governments non-partisan nature, Clark said. government. E.W. First. 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. 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. Thats why I really like what the stormwater citizen committee has come up with. Share with Us. Norman voters have chosen Larry Heikkila to be the city's next mayor, preliminary election reports indicated Tuesday. 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. I felt like it would be a disservice to my community and my legacy of service and all that weve accomplished over the last three years to walk away. 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. I am not at all in favor of it, Dunn said. 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. Before receiving her J.D. She called local business closures at the start of the pandemic"devastating" forher practice. In 2019, propositions for stormwater utility bond projects and a stormwater utility fee received 42.62 percent and 39.68 percent yes votes, respectively. 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.
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