Incumbent Ward 4 Councilperson Helen Grant won reelection to the Norman City Council tonight, while banker Joshua Hinkle and petroleum industry professional Scott Dixon won their first terms in Ward 6 and Ward 8, respectively.
Norman’s Ward 2 race will go to an April 2 runoff after none of the five candidates managed to top the required 50 percent threshold.
Half of the seats on the Norman City Council were up in Tuesday’s election, while residents in Moore chose a new mayor and one city council member.
Here’s a look at how each of Norman and Moore’s races turned out. All election results listed on the Oklahoma State Election Board website are unofficial until they are certified by the board.
Peacock, Rice advance for Norman Ward 2 runoff
Russell Rice picked up 32.74 percent of the vote in the five-candidate Ward 2 race, narrowly eclipsing Matt Peacock, who received 27.45 percent. Because neither candidate got more than 50 percent of the vote, the two candidates will face off in an April 2 runoff.
The incumbent Ward 8 councilman, Peacock was moved to Ward 2 in redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Census. He was elected to the council that same year.
Jeff Dismukes finished with 25.33 percent while Aleisha Karjala got 13.47 percent. Ray Howerton got 1 percent.
Ward 2 extends south from Robinson Street to Norman’s southern city limit between Interstate 35 on the west and Berry Road on the east.
Ward 4 incumbent Helen Grant easily wins reelection
Incumbent Ward 4 Councilperson Helen Grant easily won reelection in Ward 4. Grant earned 63.91 percent of the vote, while challenger Judy Moss got 36 percent.
Grant made housing a priority in their reelection campaign, suggesting money that is aimed at a proposed entertainment district could be better spent addressing the city’s affordable housing problem.
“For some of us, we are very vulnerable to losing our housing,” Grant told NonDoc. “It kind of defuses some of the partisan, divisive talk around affordable housing being all Section 8 and drug users and enabling people. And it really drilled down into what’s affordable for a variety of incomes and living situations. We had to take a hard look that some of our city workers don’t earn enough to stay in Norman without some kind of assistance.”
Ward 4 covers central Norman, stretching south from Robinson Street to Lindsey Street between Berry Road and 12th Avenue East. South of Lindsey Street, it narrows with an eastern boundary of Chautauqua Avenue and runs down to State Highway 9.
Joshua Hinkle wins Norman Ward 6 seat
Lifelong Norman resident Joshua Hinkle won the election for Norman City Council Ward 6 Tuesday night, earning 58.77 percent of the vote against Jerry Drewery, who received 41 percent.
Drewery was endorsed by Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila, according to his campaign website.
The seat became open after incumbent Elizabeth Foreman decided not to seek re-election.
Drewery and Hinkle disagreed on several key issues, including homelessness and a proposed entertainment district for the city. Hinkle supported a proposed homeless shelter in Norman, while Drewery favored an approach that discouraged homeless people from taking refuge in Norman.
Ward 6 runs southeast from the intersection of Indian Hills Road and 12th Avenue NW down to Alameda Street and 36th Avenue NE.
Scott Dixon wins Norman Ward 8 race
Scott Dixon edged Kyle Hurley in the race for Norman City Council Ward 8, earning 52.86 percent of the vote to Hurley’s 47 percent.
The seat became open when incumbent Matt Peacock was redistricted into Ward 2 following the 2020 U.S. census.
Dixon is a National Guard veteran and management worker for an oil field service company. Both candidates had run for the Norman City Council in the past. Hurley ran in Ward 7 in 2019 and was defeated by incumbent Stephen Tyler Holman. Dixon ran for city council in Ward 8 in 2022 and was defeated by Peacock.
Mark Hamm wins Moore mayoral race
Former Moore City Council member Mark Hamm won the race to be the city’s new mayor Tuesday night, capturing 57.4 percent of the vote to 42.53 percent for Jeff Arvin with 21 of 22 precincts reporting. Hamm will succeed Mayor Glenn Lewis, who has led the city for 30 years.
Rob Clark won the race for Moore City Council Ward 2 with 59.56 percent of the vote to 40.44 percent for Tommy Lawrence.
