After Tuesday’s election, the Norman City Council’s composition is nearly unrecognizable from two years ago.
Helen Grant, who represents Ward 4, retained their seat on the dais, making them one of two council members remaining since 2024. The other elected incumbent on Tuesday’s ballots, Ward 6 Councilmember Joshua Hinkle, lost his bid to retain the seat. Appointed incumbent Robert Bruce, however, retained his seat to finish a half-term in Ward 3.
Hinkle’s defeat makes him the latest candidate who voted in favor of controversial TIF districts to be ousted by candidates who opposed the plan. Kyle Steele, who won the Ward 6 election Tuesday night, cited the TIFs as a reason to run against a candidate with whom he otherwise largely agreed. Former Mayor Larry Heikkila and former Ward 1 Councilmember Austin Ball lost reelection bids last year, while Ward 2 Councilmember Matt Peacock chose not to seek reelection. That leaves Ward 8 Councilmember Scott Dixon as the last remaining official who voted in favor of the TIFs, and he drew no challengers this year.
While Wards 2, 3, 4 and 6 were decided outright Tuesday, Ward 5 will proceed to a runoff April 7. Election results are unofficial until they approved by the State Election Board.
Norman Ward 2: Jacy Deck wins outright
In Ward 2, Jacy Deck won outright in a three-person race for the open seat.
Peacock was the council’s longest-tenured member, but he cited increased professional and personal obligations in his decision not to seek reelection. Peacock was first elected in 2020 to serve Ward 8, and after redistricting, he secured election to Ward 2 in 2024.
By earning 871 votes (52.23 percent), Deck defeated Stephanie Adams, who received 398 votes, and Russell Rice, who received 389 votes.
Deck is a project manager at the University of Oklahoma’s Advanced Radar Research Center. Her professional background includes accounting, insurance and benefit management.
“I want to say thank you for your support, your questions, and for the hundreds upon hundreds of conversations over these past three months,” Deck said in a Facebook post ahead of the polls closing Tuesday. “With your support, I will use my skill set to bring both accountability and compassion to our council.”
Norman Ward 3: Robert Bruce affirmed by voters
After being appointed to finish an unexpired term in October 2025, Ward 3 incumbent Councilmember Robert Bruce will continue his time on the dais, receiving 70.76 percent support (1,164 votes) against challenger Cullen Bieger, who finished with 29.24 percent support (481 votes).
Bruce was appointed after former Councilmember Bree Montoya resigned in September. Her resignation came after screenshots of a Facebook interaction spread online in which she told another user to “open a vein” and “put a gun in (their) mouth and pull the trigger.” Bruce will finish Montoya’s term, which ends in July 2027.
During his campaign, Bruce was difficult to pin down. He focused on “safety and security” as priorities. He declined an interview ahead of the election.
Norman Ward 4: Helen Grant reelected
Incumbent Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant will remain in their seat, securing 60.45 percent (836 votes) against OU professor Cindy Gordon, who finished with 547 votes.
Grant will continue serving on the council after being elected in 2022, making them the longest-tenured member of the council moving forward. During their time on the council, Grant has been a target of social media controversy and has received backlash after a comment on Charlie Kirk’s death went viral. Grant said Kirk was “a cog in the gears of a much larger death machine.”
During their campaign, Grant said detractors were “like a flash in the pan” and reiterated their dedication to serving Ward 4.
Norman Ward 5: Hutzel, Kirby head to runoff
In Ward 5, Dianna Hutzel and Trey Kirby are headed to a runoff April 7.
By far Norman’s largest ward by land area, rural Ward 5 faces a policy controversy unique to the rest of the city. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s ACCESS Oklahoma plan calls for a new turnpike to cut through the ward, displacing 75 families. All three candidates who sought the Ward 5 seat expressed opposition to the turnpike, but Hutzel and Kirby will have to differentiate themselves on other issues ahead of the April 7 runoff.
Hutzel fell just short of surpassing the 50 percent threshold to secure outright victory Tuesday, gaining 830 votes, good for 47.98 percent of votes cast. Kirby narrowly topped Shaista Fenwick for the second spot in the runoff, receiving 459 votes to Fenwick’s 441 votes.
Hutzel worked at Tinker Air Force Base for 37 years, where she held various positions related to finance, data analysis and manufacturing. Kirby is a rancher and small business owner, and he previously ran to represent Ward 5 in 2025, when he lost to then-incumbent Michael Nash with 16.6 percent of the vote in a three-way race.
Ward 5 is up for election because Nash resigned last summer after moving elsewhere in Norman outside of the district. Nash has announced his candidacy for a seat on the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners.
Norman Ward 6: Kyle Steele nabs seat
Ward 6 residents chose to vote incumbent Councilmember Joshua Hinkle off the council Tuesday. He received 35.78 percent support (550 votes) against challenger Kyle Steele, who received 64.22 percent (987 votes).
Steele challenged Hinkle, in part, because Hinkle voted to approve the Rock Creek Tax Increment Financing District in September 2024. On Feb. 3, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against a referendum petition that would have sent the TIF district to a public vote.
During the campaign, Steele and Hinkle hardly diverged on other issues permeating Norman’s civic conversation. Steele said he believed he would be a more transparent, reflective representative.
