Brandi Studley won the Ward 1 Norman City Council seat vacated by former council member Kate Bierman in Tuesday’s municipal elections, according to online unofficial results from the Oklahoma State Election Board website.
Studley, who works in dental practice management for Dentrix Ascend, defeated former Norman Planning and Reapportionment Commission member Chris Lewis with 51.70 percent of the vote with 546 total votes, narrowly avoiding a runoff by 51 votes. Lewis received 46.88 percent, 495 votes total.
"I'm proud that I was chosen to represent Ward 1," Studley said in an interview with The Daily Tuesday night. "But let's be real, I won by 51 votes. So I still have a lot of work to do with gaining the trust of other constituents in my ward and really listening to what their needs are."
Brandi was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, before moving to Norman when she was 4 years old. Brandi graduated from Norman High in 1997, and considers Ward 1 her home.
In an interview with The Daily, Studley said she and her family founded the Social Injustice League of Norman, which has around 40 volunteers. Studley said she also cooks and delivers meals to the homeless every weekday evening.
An issue Studley wants to address as a council member is homelessness, something she said she struggled with after graduating high school and having her first two kids shortly after. Studley worked her way to getting an undergraduate and master’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Phoenix.
Studley said she supports the Norman City Council's decision to cut $865,000 from the Norman Police Department's proposed budget increase June 16, 2020. Lewis, who is endorsed by Unite Norman, has been critical of the decision.
Other top issues, according to her campaign website, include housing security and mental health resources.
"Regardless of when my official first day is, my first day is tomorrow," Studley said. "I've got to jump in, continue what I'm doing, but do it on a grander level and really try to work more closely with the council members."
Results for Ward 2, Ward 3, Ward 5 and Ward 7 can be found linked.
