Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:49 p.m. Dec. 4 to include the filing of Drew Hooper as a candidate for Norman City Council Ward 1. This story was updated again at 12:19 p.m. Dec. 5 to reflect the correct spelling of Riley Mulinix's name.
Over a dozen Norman residents filed for candidacy for the Feb. 11 mayoral, Norman City Council and Norman Public School Board of Education elections.
The odd-numbered city council wards and NPS Board of Education Office No. 5 are up for election.
The filing period opened Monday morning and closed Wednesday afternoon.
Mayor
Larry Heikkila: Heikkila is the current mayor of Norman, first elected in 2022. Before being elected, Heikkila worked for the city in multiple roles, including street supervisor, personnel analyst and safety manager. He is also a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, retiring in 2010.
Stephen Tyler Holman: Holman has been the Ward 7 council member since 2013, making him the longest-serving sitting member on Norman City Council. Holman is a real estate agent and works the door at The Deli on Campus Corner weekly, according to his profile on the city’s website.
Riley Mulinix: Mulinix is an attorney and counselor at law for Mulinix Ewert, a professional limited liability company. Mulinix formerly worked for Redbud Law, according to his Facebook.
Norman City Council Ward 1
Austin Ball: Ball is the Ward 1 incumbent council member, first elected in February 2023. He moved to Norman in 2003 after serving for four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. According to the city website, he is an Outstanding Academic Graduate of the Oklahoma National Guard’s State Officer Candidate School.
David Michael Jordan Gandesbery: Gandesbery worked as a security coordinator for Norman Regional Health System and received 245 federal and mental health certifications in 2021, according to a Norman Regional blog post. He also serves on the Norman Election Commission, with his term ending on Sept. 1.
Drew Hooper: Drew Hooper filed at 4:17 p.m. on Wednesday. OU Daily was unable to find a campaign site or social media page.
Norman City Council Ward 3
Bree Montoya: Montoya is the Ward 3 incumbent council member, having been elected in February 2023. She is the director of Gray, Blodgett & Company’s business valuation and litigation support department and has over 16 years of accounting experience, according to her website.
Sandra Artman: According to her website, Artman is a small business owner, the founder of a youth foundation and has a family history in Norman dating back 80 years. Her website states she wants to reduce “wasteful spending,” support local businesses and prioritize public safety.
Norman City Council Ward 5
Michael Nash: Nash was elected to his current term on Norman City Council in July 2023 after serving in the seat from September 2020 to July 2021. The city’s website notes he is a 35-year Normanite and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and has worked on projects for Flogistix, Baker Hughes and Halliburton, according to the city’s website.
Trey Kirby: Kirby is the owner of Kirby Land and Cattle. His website states he will listen and respond to every inquiry, represent property owners and fight “eminent domain abuse,” and support public safety.
Cindi Tuccillo: Tuccillo has been a small business owner for 46 years, according to her website. She wants to prioritize funding for emergency services and reduce government spending by promoting fiscally conservative policies and limiting tax increases.
Norman City Council Ward 7
Kimberly Blodgett: According to her website, Blodgett is an elementary school teacher and a community volunteer. She wants to address housing instability through “inclusionary zoning practices,” provide mental health support to veterans, elderly people and people experiencing homelessness, and decrease violent crime. She previously ran for the Ward 7 seat in 2019.
Amanda Chaffin: Chaffin is a patient advocacy consultant for Medable, a healthcare technology company, according to her Facebook. According to Chaffin’s website, she wants to support first responders and local businesses, and provide accessibility for children with disabilities.
Norman Public School Board, Office No. 5
Tina Floyd: Floyd is the incumbent NPS board representative for Office No. 5, having been elected in fall 2022. According to a website, during her 20-year career she has worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal.
Tori Collier: Collier is 26-year Normanite with 10 years of experience working for state government agencies, including the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Oklahoma State Department of Health, according to her website. Her website states she is currently a community consultant for the nonprofit Evolution Foundation.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele. Grace Rhodes and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
