Stephenson-Leuck said she isnot accepting campaign contributions, and was relying on a series of public mayoral forums to promote her campaign. Larry Heikkila unseats incumbent Breea Clark as Norman Mayor "I really object to the idea that funding the police department has turned into a Democrat-versus-Republican question," he said. (They asked), Why would you want the progress youve made to be undone, Clark said. Clark became Normans 60th mayor in 2019 after serving three years on the City Council. The 2020 presidential election spurred a wave of voting laws that some say could restrict access to the polls. Mayor Heikkila is a pro-business, pro-growth, avid supporter of Normans Police and Fire Departments. However, there is no clear answer about her affiliation. that is degrading to another person. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Clear skies. is a wildly inappropriate breach of municipal governments non-partisan nature, Clark said. Mayor | City of Norman, OK Weve never addressed this, ever. In the end, Clark survived the recall effort but could not prevail against Heikkila. He said the city needs the silent majority of non-fundamentalists to come into the fold and to make the arguments and to shame people into becoming more moral.. Some have argued my being a staff member at the university is a detriment, Clark 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. Because weve got a lot of major issues and difficult issues we will be facing. 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.. 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. He also recently chaired thecitys Charter Review Committee. There has been a little bit of mistrust that has built up over the last couple of years.. Clark said the rise in partisan politics that has saturated notable Norman City Council issues for the past year has no place in local decision making, and that shes glad to see candidates run with a focus on minimizing those influences in municipal government. NORMAN Larry Heikkila won a first term as mayor of Norman on Tuesday, unseating incumbent Breea Clark. 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. She also serves as a member of the Oklahoma Municipal League Board of Directors and the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments Board of Directors. NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Former Norman safety manager Larry Heikkila defeated incumbent Breea Clark on Tuesday in the race to be mayor of Oklahoma's third-largest city. news. 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. 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. (NonDoc) Support Journalism In the culmination of two years worth of debate over city leadership, Larry. Kevin Stitts endorsement of mayoral candidate Nicole Kish is a wildly inappropriate breach of municipal governments non-partisan nature, Clark said. "I will be the champion Norman needs to make a positive impact for everyone in our community.". I assume its the DNC agenda, but we dont like that here. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the runoff election will take place Tuesday, April 5. It is vividly clear that she inclines toward the democratic party. Breea Clark is originally from Wichita, Kansas, where she graduated with her B.A. 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. Bill Hickman, the current Norman Ward 4 council member, works as an attorney and small-business owner. Clark broadcast her concession speech to her official Facebook page. 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. It appears, for now, that voters wanted someone from the establishment on both sides. I look forward to April 5.. 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. But initially, as they are right now, I dont think theyre equitable, I dont think they summon or motivate our residents to change the way that their homescapes are designed so that stormwater isnt the problem.. During her tenure as mayor, the Norman City Council allocated CARES Act funding to local businesses and vaccine distribution. Larry Heikkila celebrates winning Norman mayoral race, Breea Clark 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. Share with Us. Current Term Ends: 07/01/25. I think we could have a ward-specific citizen commission, and experts in stormwater infrastructure and water quality combine again and make a proposal.. "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. "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. To achieve this transformation, the management of it must be pragmatic, productive and visionary, and must redefine Norman into a city of excellence. In his campaign announcement, Heikkila chided the council for its focuson addressing homelessness. What tribal leaders are saying about Stitt inauguration. 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. "Because of Mayor Clark, I bet youre going to see the pendulum swinging conservative.". He won over incumbent Mayor Breea Clark. 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. We make a whopping $100 a month to do this, so its certainly not for the money. How a debate over police funding escalated in Norman, Oklahoma and On campus, she has served on the Universitys Legal Panel, Speakers Bureau, and the Committee on Discrimination and Harassment. 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. OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and We need someone who can bring us together moving forward.. A political outsider endorsed by Gov. Clark and Hickman feel the same about many Norman issues and both have city council member experience. 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. Political Experience keyboard_arrow_down. Breea Clark, the incumbent, had been mayor since 2019. 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. Cheat sheet: Norman mayoral race a clash over city's direction - NonDoc 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. Im thankful for Maricha and my family, as well as the many friends and volunteers who have supported me.. Affordable housing doesn't just affect the homeless, it affects people who live paycheck-to-paycheck, Clark said. Midway Bob, Dr. Kish, Ms. Leuck, and again, mayor-elect Heikkila, I wish you the very best.. Clark was elected mayor in a three-way contest in 2019 after serving on the city council for three years. Before receiving her J.D. Breea Diane Clark from Norman, Oklahoma | VoterRecords.com Some formed a group called Unite Norman and began collecting signatures with help from Norman police officers and Republican political strategists to recall Mayor Breea Clark, Bierman. 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 a recent election she fought against the conservative, so it is certain that she ain't conservative. While the decision still resulted in an overall budget increase for NPD, the meeting encouraged the formation of Unite Norman. We spoke truthfully about the issues that I know are important to voters including public safety, homelessness and jobs. On campus, she has served on the Universitys Legal Panel, Speakers Bureau, and the Committee on Discrimination and Harassment. Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, Norman, OK 73070. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the runoff election will take place Tuesday, April 5. Clark faced notable backlash after the Norman City Council voted to, reduce a proposed Norman Police Department budget increase by $865,000. Phone:(405) 325-2501 The more we can collaborate, the more we can stretch our dollars to do the most good.. Clark said she had not heard from other candidates, but was working to contact them. Its all around our city, Clark said. Norman Mayor Breea Clark wasnt always certain she would pursue a second term after a tumultuous three years in office. There was a problem saving your notification. OK firm says some groups get special treatment in managed care bids. Both Kish and Heikkila have said they want to increase the number of police officers and boost pay across public safety departments. Don't Threaten. 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. I think accountability is always good, and voter education. . for Clark and several Norman city council members. e-mail: mayor@NormanOK.gov, Vital Information: Mayor Heikkila and his wife have two adult children. journalism is worth and how to fund the civic good that robust news organizations can generate. in June 2020. Click to reveal racist or sexually-oriented language. The two candidates made their cases to voters in a final push to get out the vote. Larry Heikkila has defeated Breea Clark and clinched the position of Mayor in the recent election. 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. recognition from the Oklahoma State Medical Association, ties to Unite Norman were elected to the council, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. While on council, Thompson supported the city's first public safety sales tax that funded additional police officers. 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. online throughout the pandemic. Blake Douglas joined the OU Daily news desk in October 2018, and is currently the editor-in-chief. Evan Dunn, a community activist and former teacher, attempted to set himself apart from his opponents by discussing moral problems in Norman. Its very clear that everyone wants to keep moving in a positive direction.. By July 2020, the group attempted to trigger a recall election. AlthoughHeikkila saidthe council shouldn't be sofocused on issues related to homelessness, he said the city should work with the state to get mental health treatment for those who need it and try to entice moreproperty owners to offer government-subsidizedaffordable housing. As mayor, he said he would deliver on projects people had voted for. Breea serves as the Mayor of Norman, the 3rd largest city in the state of Oklahoma. He won over incumbent Mayor Breea Clark. "If you aren't questioning the actual elections, and if they are free and fair, then I don't think you're paying attention," Kish said. Be Nice. Breea Clark - University of Oklahoma I am not in favor of the school bond, Im not in favor of any of the transportation bonds. I look forward to working with whomever becomes the new mayor to create a better future for Norman.. As the current Director of the JCPenney Leadership Center, she advises the JCPenney Leadership Program and teaches leadership courses and Passport to Success workshops. SUPPORT US TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $1. He also serves as an ordained Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at a local church. #okwx #texomawx. It looks like Norman was really ready to put a teacher on the school board, Ruggiers said. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The turnout in Tuesdays election significantly eclipsed the turnout in 2019. First. There arent just parts of Norman, little pockets, having this issue. I dont think people know a single barrel of oil contains 25,000 hours of human muscle power, Dunn said. 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 . Gender: Female. You have permission to edit this article. Clark also praised NPDs efforts in interacting and building relationships with Normans unhoused residents, and said she hopes to pass additional funding to help the department staff its community outreach services. 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. Mayor, City of Norman, Oklahoma, 2019-present. Larry Heikkila defeats incumbent Breea Clark in runoff race for Norman "I hold the confidence the citizens have given me to bring a change to Norman very serious," he said. Experience: Before her election. Prior to seeking elected office, she served on the Norman Tree Board, Library Board, and the Norman Forward Sales Tax Citizens Financial Oversight Board. The individuals who do it, they dont take on debt. 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. With Mayor Lynne Miller not seeking re-election, two city council members and a community activist seek to fill her spot. What Is Breea Clark's Political Party? 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 Clark's Political Summary . Thompson said he hopes his message of nonpartisan local politics continues to be heard. The future of our community and the future of our state is not something I'm willing to risk. Its a need for our city, Hickman said. Voting rights and elections: How new state laws could affect you. As an employee he served as the City of Norman Street Supervisor, then as a Personnel Analyst, and finally as the Safety Manager. He also retired in 2010, after twenty-six years of service in the United States Navy. She called local business closures at the start of the pandemic"devastating" forher practice. Norman voters will cast ballots Tuesday, Feb. 12, to decide which of three candidates will become the next mayor of Norman. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. "I think our next mayor needs to be able to steer us from … the waters of calamity into the sea of reason," he said. Larry Heikkila has defeated Breea Clark and clinched the position of Mayor in the recent election. Personal keyboard_arrow_down. Breea Clark is the 60th Mayor for the City of Norman. She cited Norman's low unemployment rate and record sales tax revenue as signsthe city's economy is strong. He credited "a grassroots campaign" who wanted a change. Potential affordable housing solutions under consideration now include single-room occupancy spaces near the intersection of Robinson Street and Berry Road. The incumbent also thanked Thompson for running a clean race. Were trying to clean water and build roads.. While the group also endorsed candidates in Wards 2, 4 and 6, none were elected. Breea Clark is Of Counsel at WhitbeckBennett. The Voter's Self Defense System - Vote Smart 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. Mailing Address: P.O. Newcomer Alex Ruggiers defeated longtime incumbent Dan Snell in the race for Norman Public Schools Board of Education Office No. The 2022 Norman, Oklahoma, mayoral election was held on February 8, 2022, with Larry Heikkila and Breea Clark going in the runoff. in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005. I think theres a lack of trust with what they did with our money.. Breea Clark | WhitbeckBennett The Voter's Self Defense System - Vote Smart She . The youngest female and first Millennial to hold this seat, she is invested in. 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. The City of Norman has made this mistake before. 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 thanked him for a clean race and spoke to him about how we can work together for a round two, she said. Dunn acknowledged that selling war bonds might not generate the revenue of stormwater utility bonds, but called it a first step in finding some financing. Clark received 36.46% of the. "We had stumbled into this real combative scenario here in town," he said. Norman got to this point in the race after neither Clark nor Heikkila secured 50% of the vote against numerous other candidates during the February election. 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. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won the electiondespitewidely debunked claims of election fraud spread by Trump and his supporters. Sworn In: 07/05/22 You have permission to edit this article. Previously, he served the citizens of Norman with seventeen years of service as an employee of the City of Norman. . I would like to be added to the WB's monthly newsletter, "A Family Matter". Candidate for Norman mayor hypes morals, oil, war bonds - NonDoc Norman's Heikkila Defeats Incumbent Clark in Mayor's Race Theres no room for political ideology or political party in local government, because were not tackling issues like abortion or gun rights. "Adequately funding itjust seems obvious.". Clark received 4.45% more of the votes than Heikkila in the primary. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. In-person absentee voting takes place Thursday and Friday, Feb. 3-4. person will not be tolerated. 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. In-person absentee voting takes place Thursday and Friday, Feb. 3-4. Whoever is at the helm of the ship doesnt need a learning curve, she said last month. Norman, OK 73019-4004. Breea Clark (@clarkfornorman) / Twitter 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. Clark said the issue remains too important to continue administering band-aid solutions. Ill really start digging into the budget, Ruggiers said. She saidRiverwind Casino,owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation, is the reason homelessness is on the rise in Norman. Grant won 54.41 percent of the vote, compared to 45.59 for Hobson. He also wants the city to cut red tape and speed up the permitting process for businesses in order to spur more development. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism "For example, our current Mayor and Council have dedicated City resources for the welfare of the transient population, which has become a detriment to the City, our citizens and local businesses.". 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. 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. Reach her atmwood@normantranscript.com or 405-416-4420. 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. I believe its a citizen-based solution to a city-wide problem.. 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. Norman remains the largest city in Oklahoma without a dedicated stormwater utility. Snell had served on the school board for more than two decades. Clark said the main separation between her and Hickman was leadership style. He and his wife Janet were married in 1976, and moved to Norman from Tulsa in 1978. Larry Heikkila Norman OK Mayor Wikipedia: Political Party, Age And Wife 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. There was a problem saving your notification. She also previously served as interim Pre-Law Club Advisor and was a member of the 2018-2019 OU Leadership Council class. Before receiving her J.D. 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. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Norman voters have chosen Larry Heikkila to be the city's next mayor, preliminary election reports indicated Tuesday. At OKC, a record high temperature of 83 degrees occurred mid-day, then plummeted to a record low of 17 degrees at midnight. 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. Law School:University of Oklahoma College of Law, J.D., 2008. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. No education information on file. Phone: 405-366-5402 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 TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Elections Summary Voter Registration & Polling Place Ballot Measures Issues Public Statements Political Parties Election Contacts Political . Largest Oklahoma United Methodist church may cut denominational ties. First elected to the Norman City Council to represent Ward 6 in 2016, she was elected in 2019 as Normans 60th mayor and first millennial mayor. Issue Category All . 32. He retired as the Command Master Chief, 9th Naval Construction Regiment. Together they owned a small glass business on Main Street for four years. This is amazing. The proposition called for the monthly base fee to all customers to be raised from $6 to $7.80 for metered users. I tend to be right about in the middle. Clark also thanked her volunteers, her campaign workers and her family for their support. 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. He also voiced support for no-tax transportation bonds that would allow Norman to build a new traffic management center. The fire department is down 8 or 9 percent, and police is down about 7 percent. 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.