Two newcomers are vying to unseat a four-term incumbent in the Norman Ward 7 City Council race.
Stephen Tyler Holman, who has held the seat since 2013, will take on Monica Marsh, the owner of Ultimate Realm of Serenity spa in Norman and C.L. Jourden, who is a laboratory supervisor at the Oklahoma Mothers’ Milk Bank.
Ward 7 lies on the southern side of Norman and includes part of the University of Oklahoma campus.
The candidates for Norman Ward 7 are listed below in alphabetical order. The information presented was derived from publicly available sources.
Election Day is set for Tuesday, Feb. 9, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is Feb. 2. The deadline to register to vote or change registration was Jan. 20.
If no candidate receives a majority of the votes on Feb. 9, a runoff election will be held April 6 between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the Ward. Councilmembers serve two-year terms.
Stephen Tyler Holman (Incumbent)
Age: 36
Profession/background: Holman, the incumbent, is seeking his fifth term on the Norman City Council. He has served on the Norman 2060 Strategic Water Supply Committee and as the city’s liaison with the Norman Music Festival. He also serves as mayor pro-tem and is a member of the City Council Oversight Committee. Holman often mans the door at The Deli on Campus Corner, and his involvement in the Friendly Market saga with Norman police and the local district attorney was well-documented.
Platform: Holman’s website offers a long list of items he intends to prioritize. His top issues are improving Norman’s water system, increasing government transparency, pushing for smart growth and improving public safety. He told the Norman Transcript that if he is re-elected, he will focus on several key issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, including affordable housing and accessibility.
C.L. Jourden 
Age: 27
Profession/background: Jourden studied biology and chemistry as an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma, according to his campaign website, and he has a master’s degree in health informatics. He is listed as the production coordinator and lab supervisor at the Oklahoma Mothers’ Milk Bank, which provides donated breast milk to preterm or ill infants. His website says he also works at Norman’s Cohiba Lounge and helped start a business called the Friends and Family Investment Group.
Platform: Jourden states that, if elected, he will promote an economic growth environment and work with community leaders to continue Norman Forward. He also said he wants to improve the city’s infrastructure. According to his website, his top issues are supporting small businesses, protecting the environment and supporting veterans.
Online: Facebook | Twitter | Website
Monica Marsh
Age: 37
Profession/background: In 2009, Marsh opened her own day spa, Ultimate Realm of Serenity, according to her comments in a Unite Norman YouTube video. She has two children in Norman Public Schools and said her life is about her spa and her children.
Platform: In the bio of her campaign’s Facebook page, she said she is running for the seat so she can “be the voice for those who do not agree with the recent radical ideologies that have been imposed on our city.” The page touts her support of small businesses and says she has been endorsed by the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Online: Facebook
