Norman City Council Ward 5 Councilmember Rarchar Tortorello lost reelection Tuesday to former Councilmember and former Pike Off OTA president Michael Nash in a runoff election Tuesday evening.
Nash received 50.72 percent of votes cast with Tortorello receiving 49.28 percent, according to unofficial online results from the Oklahoma State Election Board.
"Words cannot express what it feels to have such overwhelming confidence from my friends, neighbors; my Normanite family," Nash wrote in a message to OU Daily Tuesday night. "We knew it would be a matter of communicating my strengths to a ward of over 11,000 voters and without the support of my team and my family, we could not have achieved this victory. Fortes Fortuna Juvat."
Nash told OU Daily before the February election that he aims to protect the city’s water supply, improve emergency response times in Ward 5 and support residents in their fight against the ACCESS Oklahoma project which features a turnpike that would run through his district.
Nash was placed on the ballot by petition and formerly served as the Ward 5 council member after he was appointed in 2020. Nash lost the seat in the 2021 election to Tortorello. Nash founded and formerly served as the president of Pike Off OTA, a grassroots organization formed in opposition to the ACCESS Oklahoma projects.
Nash also said he hopes to return to nonpartisanship and professionalism to council.
Tortorello, Ward 3 Councilmember Kelly Lynn and Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila were the three self-proclaimed “conservatives” on city council. Lynn lost reelection to Bree Montoya and could lose his seat before his term expires as the city will take him to court Wednesday for holding dual offices. With Tortorello and Lynn losing reelection, Heikkila will remain as the sole self-proclaimed conservative on council.
Nikkie Aisha and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
This story was edited on April 5 at 10:53 a.m. to include a statement from Nash.
