Norman Ward 3 Councilmember Robert Bruce, the incumbent since being appointed in October 2025, is now facing a quick turnaround to keep the seat owing to a challenge from Cullen Bieger, a long-time IT employee.
A retired U.S. Air Force veteran and long-time civil service employee at Tinker Air Force Base, Bruce has served Ward 3 in an interim capacity for four months, earning the appointment after former Ward 3 Councilmember Bree Montoya resigned in September. The resignation came after screenshots of a Facebook interaction in which Montoya encouraged another user to “put a gun in (their) mouth and pull the trigger” circulated social media.
The winner of the Feb. 10 special Norman Ward 3 election will serve the remainder of Montoya’s unexpired term, through July 2027.
Ward 3 covers westernmost Norman, running east from 72nd Avenue Northwest.
While Bruce has touted his “lifetime of service” as both an Air Force officer and civil servant he declined to conduct an interview with NonDoc ahead of the Feb. 10 election.
Instead, a staff member provided a press release about his campaign that included a quote from Bruce.
“Safety and security should always take precedence over politics,” Bruce said. “We must unite as a community to ensure our neighborhoods are secure and that we are prioritizing what truly matters to the residents of Ward 3.”
In an interview, Bieger said his top priorities if elected include serving his constituents transparently, advocating for their will on the Norman City Council and being a reachable, engaged representative.
“I’m a servant of the people. If elected, it’s not my opinion that matters. It’s the voters’ opinion,” Bieger said. “So if I’m sitting in a room of five or six people, and five of them think we should go left, and me and the sixth one think we should go right? We have to go left, because that’s what the voters’ consensus says.”
Saying he is prepared to solve problems effectively, Bieger pointed to his decades in the IT industry that help him understand audit requirements and the “structures and regulations” that public officials face.
Both candidates support vote on arena TIF
Bieger said he believes proposed plans for a new OU basketball arena and accompanying entertainment district should be put to a public vote, although the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a 10,000-signature petition submitted to trigger such an election was “legally insufficient” owing to a “misleading” gist.
In a text message to NonDoc following the ruling, Bieger said he respected the court’s decision, but that he was “disappointed.”
“With the vote off the table, the burden on city leadership is even higher. As a result, I think this deal should be revisited,” Bieger wrote. “My position is simple: projects of this size deserve a public vote. If a vote isn’t legally available through referendum, council should still pursue every lawful option to give residents a meaningful say and clear accountability.”
Now, Bieger said “at minimum” he would like to see council provide “plain-language numbers, independent review and regular public reporting” on the project’s finances.
While Bieger said he would have liked to see the current plans put to a vote, he also indicated broader skepticism that a TIF district is the right financing option for such a project and, further, whether a new arena is necessary at all.
“It was pointed out to me that currently there’s no taxes being collected from that area, because there’s nothing that’s built on it. You’re absolutely right,” Bieger said. “But there’s also no debt being incurred by nothing being on that land either. TIFs in general, I suppose that they have their place, and they have their merits. If the city needs a new entertainment district and a new arena, great, let’s build it. But tell me again (…) what’s wrong with Lloyd Noble?”
In a Feb. 1 Facebook post, Bruce also said he supported “a public vote on the TIF.”
“As your councilman, I will continue to have opportunities for citizens to provide increased input on recommendations as we establish appropriate guardrails moving forward,” Bruce wrote.
Bruce: Voters should decide homeless shelter plan
Similar to his support for putting the proposed arena TIF to a public vote, Bruce indicated he backed sending the city’s $8 million homeless shelter bond proposal to the ballot box for the upcoming April 7 election.
“I can tell you from my own observations the need is great. I fully support those who are in need, there’s no doubt about that in my mind. (…) I really, fully support taking this issue to Norman voters,” Bruce said during the Norman League of Women Voters’ forum held Jan. 21.
Bruce said Ward 3 contains one of Norman’s largest homeless encampments, leaving its representative with a strong stake in the city’s stance on combating homelessness.
The key decision, Bruce said at the forum, is whether the city should make the investment to build and own such a shelter itself or “facilitate nonprofit involvement” to curb Norman’s homelessness woes.
Bieger said he believes the city itself has a responsibility to look after unhoused residents as a starting point to connecting them with other resources they may need, such as mental health care.
“I absolutely support the idea of there being a homeless shelter that is permanent because it is run by the municipality,” Bieger said. “I love the fact that there are charities that exist that are there to help. But as a city, we can’t lean on a charity, because we never know how long that charity is going to exist. We can’t depend on them to take care of our citizens for us.”
Bieger further clarified that he approves of the current proposal that would see the shelter constructed and owned by the city but operated day-to-day by City Care.
Bieger: Infill key to affordable housing
As Norman’s population continues to grow and the need for affordable housing rises in tandem, Bieger said he would like to see city leaders build out inventory in areas that already have existing electricity, sewer and traffic infrastructure rather than continuing “urban sprawl” into the few remaining rural areas inside city limits, many of which lie within Ward 3.
“I would like to see there be more infill in locations that there already are open areas for multi-dwelling units to be built,” Bieger said. “I’ve heard people complain that, well, that is not right, because, you know, the neighbors there have scrimped and saved to buy a home, and this is going to ruin their lives to having multi-dwelling units next door to them. How is affording an opportunity to your fellow man going to ruin your life?”
To that end, Bieger said he supports infill policy such as Norman’s allowances for accessory dwelling units.
Ahead of the Feb. 10 election, Bieger said he hopes to maintain open and consistent communication with his constituents if elected.
“I’m not here to to push my own plans or thoughts on things. I’m here to do what is is deemed most important by the community, and if that is an opinion that I disagree with, as long as there’s a consensus of voters that have put me in power that want me to do that, that’s what’s going to happen,” Bieger said. “I will vote against my own opinion if that’s what the majority of the people that I listen to are telling me, and I’m not beholden to someone that’s made campaign donations to me.”
Bruce has positioned himself as a candidate who prioritizes “safety and security” as “job No. 1.”
“When decisions drift into emotions, personalities, and personal agendas instead of focusing on the rule of law, public trust is broken,” Bruce said in a Facebook post.
Polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10. To locate your polling place, visit the Oklahoma State Election Board website. Early voting is set for Thursday, Feb. 5, and Friday, Feb. 6, at the Cleveland County Election Board.
