This article was updated at 3 p.m., April 8, to correctly attribute a post made by Sassan Moghadam on the Unite Norman Facebook page to be from Moghadam rather than Larry Heikkila.
Nicole Kish, a local optometrist and member of Unite Norman, will run for mayor in the Feb. 8, 2022 city election.
An announcement was made through a public letter posted by Unite Norman co-founder Sassan Moghadam in the Unite Norman Facebook Page that was directed at conservative candidate Larry Heikkila. Moghadam extended an invitation to a candidate forum hosted by Unite Norman to Heikkila, which he declined after citing a change in “political geography” caused by Kish’s entrance into the mayoral race.
Moghadam announced Kish’s campaign Wednesday afternoon on the group’s media outreach page.
“Norman now has that qualified candidate that can beat Clark. … Dr. Kish is a respected veteran and someone that has worked tirelessly for the last year in trying to better this community,” Moghadam wrote.
Kish joins a short list of candidates, including Heikkila and incumbent Mayor Breea Clark.
Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, Kish graduated with a doctorate in optometry from Pacific University in Oregon after obtaining her undergraduate degree from East Illinois University. She worked in Dallas, Texas before relocating to Norman, opening her own practice in 1999. Kish also served as an Air Force optometrist for four years.
Kish’s involvement in Unite Norman dates back to the group’s founding, after the city council’s decision to reduce budgetary increases to the Norman Police Department’s by $865,000. The group’s members began collecting petition signatures in June 2020, demanding Clark and four other council members be recalled.
Kish traveled to Washington D.C. alongside Ward 5 councilmember Rarchar Tortorello in January 2021 to attend former President Donald Trump’s “#StopTheSteal” rally, which transitioned into the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots, according to a Facebook post. Neither has admitted to being involved with the storming of the Capitol.
Nicole Kish and Ward 5 councilmember Rarchar Tortorello post about traveling to Washington D.C. before the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Kish also filed a lawsuit seeking at least $500,000 in damages, claiming that her practice has suffered financially and she was forced to hire an off-duty police officer in response to threats made towards her. The suit was filed against three Norman citizens who posted about Kish’s Washington presence on their personal and city council ward Facebook pages. This case was later dismissed.
Kish has not officially received Unite Norman’s endorsement. Moghadam noted in his letter that Unite Norman’s board will “make those recommendations” after all candidates have announced their campaigns.
Editor's note: This article was updated at 9:44 a.m. on Sept. 7 to reflect the proper spelling of Larry Heikkila's name.
