During the Feb. 8 primary, Heikkila and Clark defeated opponents "Midway" Bob Thompson, Dr. Nicole Kish and Alice Stephenson-Leuck. Just a Mayor Who Can't Say No to Renewable Energy | Sierra Club If elected, Stephenson-Leuck plans to ask the tribe to build a new, state-of-the-art homeless shelter. [2] General Results [ edit] "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. Mayor Breea Clark will face Larry Heikkila in a runoff after neither candidate captured a majority of the vote Tuesday, preliminary election results indicated. Affordable housing and homelessness solutions would be prioritized with further federal aid dollars if she is elected to a second term, Clark said. Heikkila received 53.39% of the votes, beating incumbent Breea Clark. Be Proactive. 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. We believe The Heikkila and Leuck did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Clear skies. Bill Hickman, the current Norman Ward 4 council member, works as an attorney and small-business owner. I dont think people know a single barrel of oil contains 25,000 hours of human muscle power, Dunn said. Norman remains the largest city in Oklahoma without a dedicated stormwater utility. Each petition failed to gather enough signatures or was invalidated by duplicate signatures. 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. 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. During his service, he served four years in the Submarine Force, and twenty two years as a US Navy Seabee. OK firm says some groups get special treatment in managed care bids. 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. Mayor Breea Clark pursues second term, prioritizes homelessness The City of Norman has made this mistake before. Phone: 405-366-5402 The incumbent also thanked Thompson for running a clean race. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a27ac526b8852e3 Clark said the main separation between her and Hickman was leadership style. 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 of Mayor Clark, I bet youre going to see the pendulum swinging conservative.". 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. She faced criticism for the city's response to the pandemic and for a vote over the city's police force that many deemed as "defunding". 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 . Current Legislative Committees keyboard_arrow_down. 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 Diane Clark (age 39) is listed at 718 E Johnson St Norman, Ok 73071 and is affiliated with the Democratic Party. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. So I'm glad that people are watching and participating.. "I will be the champion Norman needs to make a positive impact for everyone in our community.". Clark faced notable backlash after the Norman City Council voted to, reduce a proposed Norman Police Department budget increase by $865,000. In-person absentee voting takes place Thursday and Friday, Feb. 3-4. in Political Science from Wichita State University in 2005. 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. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the runoff election will take place Tuesday, April 5. Its a need for our city, Hickman said. 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. Breea Clark is originally from Wichita, Kansas, where she graduated with her B.A. There was a problem saving your notification. Previously, Blake has served as an intern reporter, senior news reporter, summer news editor and news managing editor. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won the electiondespitewidely debunked claims of election fraud spread by Trump and his supporters. Previous experiences with similar projects and collaboration at the county level could help alleviate those issues. 2. 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.. If passed, the city would be able to allocate more resources to make infrastructure improvements to stormwater conveyance and collection systems. Funding the project has been. In his campaign announcement, Heikkila chided the council for its focuson addressing homelessness. She is also a proud graduate of the 2018-19 OU Leadership Council class. 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. In addition he holds many technical certifications in Disaster Relief Operations, Occupational Safety, and Construction. When our city council made Norman the first city in Oklahoma to commit to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2035, the community was all for it. 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. Clark said the election was not about her nor was it about her opponent it was about improving Norman. The past three months have been a bumpy ride for Clark, 37, a Kansas native who put herself through college at Wichita State and law school at OU. Mayor Heikkila earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. 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. He retired as the Command Master Chief, 9th Naval Construction Regiment. You have permission to edit this article. . 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. Larry Heikkila was elected as the 61st mayor of Norman in 2022. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. I interned for (former President) George W. Bush, and at the state capitol of Kansas.. recognition from the Oklahoma State Medical Association, ties to Unite Norman were elected to the council, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Norman Mayor Breea Clark looks up her election numbers during her watch party, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at Blackbird Gastropub. She addressed her relationship with the university in an interview with NonDoc. She cited Norman's low unemployment rate and record sales tax revenue as signsthe city's economy is strong. news. I believe its a citizen-based solution to a city-wide problem.. The two candidates made their cases to voters in a final push to get out the vote. Theres no room for political ideology or political party in local government, because were not tackling issues like abortion or gun rights. 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. Gender: Female. I am grateful and humbled for the votes I received in Norman, Kish said in a prepared statement. A political outsider endorsed by Gov. Full Name: Breea Clark. 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. 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. 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%. He also recently chaired thecitys Charter Review Committee. Breea Clark | WhitbeckBennett Norman, OK 73019-4004. 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. Clear skies. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. City of Norman, 201 W Gray St,Norman, OK 73069, Information on City Council and Committee Meetings. By July 2020, the group attempted to trigger a recall election. You have permission to edit this article. While the decision still resulted in an overall budget increase for NPD, the meeting encouraged the formation of Unite Norman. . One of her top issues is addressinghomelessness. 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. The youngest female and first Millennial to hold this seat, she is invested in. I think Norman Public Schools could use a lot more transparency. (Kyle Phillips / The Transcript). 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. In 2019, propositions for stormwater utility bond projects and a stormwater utility fee received 42.62 percent and 39.68 percent yes votes, respectively. She was endorsed by Sallys List and the Red Earth Group, Normans Sierra Club affiliate. 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. 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. Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, Norman resident and lifelong Republican John Trice, 68, said he envisionsthe political winds shifting this election cycle. "We had stumbled into this real combative scenario here in town," he said. Be Nice. Clark encouraged Norman residents to address the citys challenges and to shop local, regardless of whomever has the job. Cheat sheet: Norman mayoral race a clash over city's direction - NonDoc 405-876-9216. perm_identityWho exactly is Clark? He won over incumbent Mayor Breea Clark. 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. Heikkila opposed mask mandates and other COVID-19 measures, while Clark had supported them. E.W. Norman chooses new mayor, as Larry Heikkila unseats incumbent Breea Clark Norman Mayor Breea Clark wasn't always certain she would pursue a second term after a tumultuous three years in office. If youre able, please I think we could have a ward-specific citizen commission, and experts in stormwater infrastructure and water quality combine again and make a proposal.. Each petition failed to gather enough signatures, Members of a Facebook group opposing Normans COVID response, Clark said she was continually targeted and harassed. 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. e-mail: mayor@NormanOK.gov, Vital Information: 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. Clark received 36.46% of the vote to Heikkilas 32.01%. Larry Heikkila Norman OK Mayor Wikipedia: Political Party, Age And Wife tomorrow by helping launch the careers of media professionals. 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. Breea Clark - University of Oklahoma With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Heikkila received more than 53% of votes, with . Heikkila received 53.39% of the votes, beating incumbent Breea Clark. Both Kish and Heikkila have said they want to increase the number of police officers and boost pay across public safety departments. 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. #okwx #texomawx. Clark also thanked her volunteers, her campaign workers and her family for their support. Dunn spoke on his vision for Norman and set lofty goals for the citys role in national politics. Breea Clark (@clarkfornorman) / Twitter Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Clear skies. After a decade of service in that office, I . Mayor | City of Norman, OK No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism It is vividly clear that she inclines toward the democratic party. Im invested in both [the City of Norman and OU], and so Im going to make sure our negotiations are fair.. Clark received 4.45% more of the votes than Heikkila in the primary. Affordable housing doesn't just affect the homeless, it affects people who live paycheck-to-paycheck, Clark said. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. He is a member of the Norman Chamber of Commerce. The vote occurred in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May 2020. The fire department is down 8 or 9 percent, and police is down about 7 percent. Stephenson-Leuck, 67, said she jumpedinto the mayoralrace due to thepolice budget cut in 2020. state. Norman, OK 73019-4004. is a wildly inappropriate breach of municipal governments non-partisan nature, Clark said. Kish said she was grateful to supporters, and intends to work with the next mayor. [We need] to combat the ease with which alcoholism, casino addictions can all cause the moral corrosion and collective decay of our society and the common culture, he said. Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. 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. Clark said she had not heard from other candidates, but was working to contact them. The Voter's Self Defense System - Vote Smart They each spoke about what they believe makes them the best choice for Norman. Lets work this out so that we can make the town that we want and help me define it, he told supporters. She called local business closures at the start of the pandemic"devastating" forher practice. 2022 Norman, Oklahoma, mayoral election - Wikipedia Three years ago, the police union endorsed Clark, but the group rescinded its endorsement after the 2020 vote on the police budget that led the Norman Police Department to eliminate nine unfilled officer positions. "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.". 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. 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. Low near 40F. Her mayoral tenure became defined largely by the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide policing debate. As a first-time candidate and a businesswoman not a politician I am proud of the race that we ran. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Numerous polls show most Republicans agree with Trump's falseclaim that the election was stolen. She teaches several undergraduate courses, including. Candidate for Norman mayor hypes morals, oil, war bonds - NonDoc The future of our community and the future of our state is not something I'm willing to risk. Asked his priority now that he is elected, Ruggiers said he wants to ensure families trust the district. While on council, Thompson supported the city's first public safety sales tax that funded additional police officers. Her portrayal as a raging liberal by campaign opponents is wildly untrue and inaccurate, Clark said, given her voting record and past political experience. Because weve got a lot of major issues and difficult issues we will be facing. Keep it Clean. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. She also previously served as interim Pre-Law Club Advisor and was a member of the 2018-2019 OU Leadership Council class. He and his wife Janet were married in 1976, and moved to Norman from Tulsa in 1978. government. "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. Floyds death led to efforts across the country to reduce police funding, but calls to defund the policy also gave birth to a movement among people who opposed the idea. Norman, OK 73070. "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. I also dont like the university elite hijacking Normans government. Mindy Wood covers City Hall news and notable court cases for The Transcript. 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. Threats of harming another 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. On campus, she has served on the Universitys Legal Panel, Speakers Bureau, and the Committee on Discrimination and Harassment. For more information on where, when and how to vote, visit the, Support independent journalism serving OU. Heikkila got 32 percent of the primary vote, and Clark received 36.5 percent. 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. 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. 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. Affiliations:Member of the Oklahoma Bar Association; Oklahoma Bar Foundation; member of the Family Law Section; member of the OBA Law Schools Committee; member of the OBA Legislative Monitoring Committee. "Everyone who ran entered the mayoral race had one central goal, and that was to improve the City of Norman. 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. Affordable housing has always been the missing piece in Norman, and something that Norman has kind of always struggled with.. Share with Us. Ruggiers is a former Norman Public Schools teacher, and he said his election shows that the community wanted to give teachers a voice.