Norman mayoral debate

Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila, Norman mayoral candidate Riley Mulinix, and Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman during the Norman mayoral debate on Jan. 30.

 Willie Gillespie/OU Daily

OU Daily's Willie Gillespie reviews three top takeaways from Thursday's Norman mayoral debate, sponsored by OU Daily, NonDoc, News 9, The Norman Transcript and Gaylord College.

Mayoral candidates incumbent Larry Heikkila, Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman and attorney Riley Mulinix faced off in a debate at Gaylord Hall Thursday evening.

Before being elected Norman’s mayor in 2022, Heikkila retired as Command Master Chief after 26 years of service to the U.S. Navy. Heikkila also previously worked as a city employee, serving as the city’s street supervisor, a personnel analyst and lastly as safety manager, according to his biography.

Holman has held the Ward 7 council seat for over 11 years, winning six consecutive elections. He is the general manager at The Friendly Market, door greeter at The Deli on Campus Corner and a realtor for Heather and Company.

Riley Mulinix works as an attorney at Mulinix Ewert PLLC, a law firm in Oklahoma City. Mulinix graduated from the OU College of Law in 2011. 

The candidate who earns over 50% of the vote in the Feb. 11 election will be sworn in on July 1 and serve a three-year term. If no candidate receives the required votes, the two candidates who received the most will compete in a runoff election on April 1.

 The debate

The debate was moderated by Tres Savage, editor in chief of NonDoc; Haley Weger, capitol reporter for KWTV News 9; and Thomas Pablo, senior news reporter for OU Daily.

In his opening statement, Mulinix said being born and raised in Norman showed him that the city’s greatest issue is divisiveness. He said he is not a politician but a unifier.

“My hope as mayor is to help bring people together,” Mulinix said. “Because, working together, we can find solutions that if we're divided, we're not able to do.”

Heikkila said he and his wife chose to stay in Norman because it is a wonderful town. His professional background gives him a wide-range of experience, he said.

“I think if you take the resumes that we have, I wish, wish that you would read mine and compare that to what we have just on the table,” Heikkila said. 

Holman said his time on council equipped him with understanding. Norman is growing, he said, and being mayor would require him to be accessible and transparent.

“I want everyone to know that they have a mayor that they can meet with, that they can talk with, who's going to be responsive to their concerns and who's going to work with everybody, no matter where they come from,” Holman said.

Development

Heikkila said Norman’s largest infrastructural issues are public safety and water quality. Holman agreed, and said the turnpike and traffic issues are prominent. Mulinix said the city must listen to issues that are important to Normanites and protect community spaces. He said the city should protect its food supply from chemicals.

With the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s ACCESS Oklahoma plan, Holman said a mayor could influence state legislators and advocate for Norman at the Capitol. Holman said he wants to stop the turnpike.

Mulinix said, as mayor, he would work to change eminent domain law, so the OTA could not use it to take private land. 

Heikkila said he has tried to stop the OTA, and if reelected, he would continue to fight them. 

The city’s relationship with OU

Mulinix said he wants to improve the city’s working relationship with OU and the state of affordable housing in Norman. He wants to pursue building tiny homes, he said.

“As OU goes, Norman goes,” Mulinix said.

The city does work well with the university, Heikkila said, citing roads, facilities and sports.

Holman said having OU in Norman makes the city stand out from others in Oklahoma. He also said it’s important to make sure both OU students are benefited by Norman’s businesses and opportunities, and Normanites are benefited by opportunities the university provides. 

“The University of Oklahoma and Norman need each other,” Holman said.

The Norman Public Library Central

A few years after Norman Public Library Central’s grand opening in 2019, a 2023 mold inspection found Paecilomyces spores in the building, which can cause severe human infections. The library was temporarily closed, and then closed indefinitely in April 2024 when more mold was found. This year, another report found toxic mold continuing to grow in the building.

Heikkila said the city is working with Pioneer Library Systems, the library’s operator, to find a storage facility for the book collection sitting inside the building. 

Mulinix said many people are frustrated that such a “beautiful” building sits unused, however, litigation may take years.

Holman said the city will work with PLS to reopen the building and restore the beloved library.

Commuter rail line proposed tax increase

Oklahoma’s Regional Transportation Authority hopes to create a rail line connecting Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman, which would require a public vote in each city and diversions of sales tax to the plan.

Holman said he supports the plan because it will relieve traffic congestion in the metro area, but is concerned about the tax. 

Heikkila said he also supports it due to traffic concerns, but asked the audience to consider if they would want to pay the tax. 

Mulinix also said the traffic benefits are promising, and would relieve both drivers and train-riders from gridlock conditions.

Homelessness 

Savage asked the candidates their opinions on Sen. Lisa Standridge’s (R-Norman) proposed legislation blocking cities from funding homeless shelters and or services in any city population under 300,000. 

Heikkila said Norman doesn’t have the financial capabilities to continue to support Norman’s homeless population.

“We’re running out of money now,” Heikkila said.

Mulinix said abandoning the crisis is “heartless.” Norman must have more compassion on its homeless population.

Holman also said he disagrees with Standridge’s initiative, because it isn’t a true solution and criminalizes homelessness. He said Norman doesn’t need a state representative telling our local government what to do. 

“We are elected by the people of Norman. We elect a city council, we elect a mayor, and that mayor and city council decides what the budget priorities are,” Holman said. 

Holman said closing Norman’s homeless shelter would force people out on the street in dangerous weather conditions, and the possibility of it closing is concerning. The city has been working with the state for two years to find a better location for the shelter, Holman said. 

Mulinix said the city needs to have a solution before it closes the shelter. He said a facility called a “phoenix community” could help bridge the gap for people who are homeless, helping them to find housing. 

Heikkila said the city can’t afford the shelter, and it should be closed because it isn’t effective. 

“It basically warehouses (people),” Heikkila said.

The city should better promote existing organizations that provide opportunities for people without homes, Heikkila said. 

Griffin Memorial Hospital property

In 2023, the city announced Griffin Memorial Hospital would be moved to Oklahoma City, but city officials now say the future of the property is unclear.

Holman said the property, if the hospital is moved to Oklahoma City, could be converted into housing, a business district or a shelter.

Heikkila said the city is working on the issue, and making sure to protect the nearby ballfields.

Mulinix said he wasn’t familiar with the issue, but the location of the property would be great for development.

Affordable housing

Mulinix said he wants to work with developers to build more affordable housing, for example, tiny home communities. 

Heikkila said the city can’t determine the housing market, but it can promote home ownership. To utilize city land fully, Heikkila said he wants to densify housing.

“We can't get concrete cheaper, we can't make land cheaper, so we have to use the land better,” Heikkila said. 

Holman said the Crimson Flats project is a great example of the city promoting affordable housing. He wants to use existing land and infrastructure better, he said.

Entertainment District 

Weger asked candidates whether they supported the initiative to bring the Rock Creek entertainment district, and notably its tax increment finance district, to a public vote.

After City Council approved the entertainment district in a 5-4 vote, Normanites gathered signatures for a petition to bring the project plan to a public vote. The city responded with a legal challenge to the petition in November.

Heikkila said the law doesn’t allow for a public vote on the district, but it now depends on what the court rules. 

Normanites are not as concerned about the arena as they are the TIF, Holman said, which is why they want a public vote. 

“I think something like (the entertainment district) could be good if the voters of Norman would agree,” Holman said. 

Mulinix said Normanites are disappointed with the level of transparency with the project, but the entertainment district could also benefit Norman. 

“With such a significant issue, I think it should go to a vote of the people.”

Public safety and law enforcement

Savage asked the candidates how Norman can invest in resources to avoid mental health deaths, and used the example of Shannon Hanchett as an example. 

On Dec. 7, 2022, Hanchett, also known as the Cookie Queen was found unresponsive on the floor of her jail cell in the Cleveland County Detention Center. She was pronounced dead on Dec. 8, 2022.

Heikkila said police officers are not social workers or medically trained, so having another option for people who need medical or psychological attention is necessary.

Mulinix said Norman should invest in another way to respond to mental health issues apart from the police. 

Holman said there needs to be another option for those struggling with mental health issues. He said that Hanchett was a friend of his. 

“The police shouldn't have been the only option to respond to that situation, and the jail shouldn't have been the only option they had to take her to, we have services in Norman,” Holman said, 

Candidate specific questions 

Mulinix was asked how he may feel about the notion that the mayoral race is between Holman and Heikkila. 

Mulinix said he is a “middle option” between the other two candidates because he wants to unite the city. His campaign has been a great learning experience, he said. 

“(I’m) able to see different perspectives and get along with a lot of different types of people,” Mulinix said. 

Heikkila was asked how in a hypothetical second term as mayor, how he would go about unifying Norman residents on different sides of the political aisle. 

Heikkila said he talks with all kinds of people about city issues and doesn’t have any enemies. Some people have refused to work with him, Heikkila said, which makes it difficult, but he wants to continue to try. 

Holman was asked how electing him as mayor would help unite the city instead of further dividing it. 

Holman said he is known as an “independent voice,” who has worked with all kinds of people while on council. He has supporters all across the political spectrum, he said, 

“It's been my duty to find a way: what can we find that's in common? What issues can we work together on?” Holman said.

 Closing statements

Weger said Mulinix is unknown in Norman, and asked him how he would respond to being called a “long-shot” to win. 

Mulinix said he is a middle option, passionate about keeping food and public spaces safe from chemicals and promoting local businesses.

“'I’m here today to try and help come up with creative win-win solutions for all of Norman,” Mulinix said.

Savage said Heikkila has had disputes with some groups in Norman, and asked him how he would unite the city.

Heikkila said change brings contention, but he was elected to bring change. Fiscal responsibility is a priority, he said, which the city owes taxpayers.

“I'd like to ask you on February 11 for your vote, and I hope that you vote for me as Mayor,” Heikkila said. 

Weger asked Holman how his election as mayor would remedy Norman’s political rift instead of further dividing it along partisan lines.

Holman said Norman is his home, and no matter where he goes, he longs to be back in Norman. He has been attending city council meetings since he was a senior in high school, he said, and he has been invested in local politics ever since. 

“Every single vote matters, no matter what, and I would appreciate your vote on February 11,” Holman said.

Norman election guide: February 2025

OU Daily previews all races on the Feb. 11 ballot

 

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