The Norman mayoral race entered a runoff election, extending the race into April 5. Incumbent Breea Clark and the second-highest vote earner, former Norman Safety Manager Larry Heikkila, remain on the ballot, according to unofficial results Tuesday night from the Oklahoma State Election Board.
Clark received 36.46 percent of the vote and Heikkila received 32.01 percent, according to the unofficial results. Former Ward 1 Councilmember and Midway Deli owner Bob Thompson received 18.9 percent, local optometrist Nicole Kish received 12.5 percent and retired farmer Alice Stephenson-Leuck received .14 percent.
Clark moved to Oklahoma in 2005 to attend the OU College of Law and continues to work at the university as the director of its JCPenney Leadership Program. During her second term, she hopes to prioritize affordable housing, create solutions for homelessness, address stormwater issues and increase accountability in local government.
In a Facebook live stream, Clark thanked her father and campaign volunteers. She said she ran for mayor in 2019 because she always appreciates people's perspectives.
"This is the level where you can affect the most change," Clark said. "When you volunteer and you vote, people will often wonder, ‘Does it make a difference?' At the local level, it does."
She said the beauty of local government is not the candidates, but the people and issues they represent. She emphasized that Norman will have an opportunity to make their choice again on April 5.
"I promise you, over the next two months, we are going to keep fighting because I believe in a better Norman," Clark said. "I believe in Norman, and I believe in the progress we’ve made in the last three years. We’re just getting started. The next three years are going to be the best yet. So, get excited."
Heikkila, a retired Command Master Chief and current chairman of the Cleveland County excise board, has lived in Norman since 1978. He said he believes the City of Norman has “lost their focus” and hopes to be a mayor that focuses on the local needs of its residents.
Former Norman Safety Manager Heikkila did not respond to The Daily for comment before publication.
When Clark was elected in 2019, 13,068 people voted in Norman's mayoral election, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. In the 2022 mayoral election, 22,712 people voted.
Kish, endorsed by Gov. Kevin Stitt and Unite Norman, wrote in an email that she is proud of the campaign she ran as a first-time candidate. She wrote that she “left everything on the field” and looks forward to working with Heikkila to create a better future for Norman.
Thompson wrote in a text message that he's proud his message has been both positive and optimistic. He wrote he's thankful for his wife, family and the support he received from friends and volunteers.
"I believe the message of a non-partisan focus on Norman remains the key to bringing our community back together," Thompson wrote.
Leuck wrote in an email that she had a wonderful experience running for mayor with a zero contribution and expenditure campaign. She thanked everyone who voted for her, congratulated the elected mayor and asked them to focus on the greater good of Norman and its residents.
“Work as a team so we will have a safe city, safe water, an earth-friendly recycle program and become a ‘one for all and all for one’ team,” Leuck wrote. “Set a positive example to our children by applying the 4 R’s and conducting yourselves reasonably, responsibly, rationally and respectfully of one another, our city, our state, our country and our earth.”
The term of the candidate elected in the April 5 runoff election will continue until the next mayoral election in 2025.
