Years before Cindy Rosenthal became Norman’s second-longest serving mayor and its first female mayor elected by popular vote, she was encouraging other women to get involved in local politics.
A committee tasked with nominating the interim Ward 2 Norman City Councilmember has chosen the OU Carl Albert Centerâs director of National Education for Womenâs Leadership and Civic Engagement to be approved in the May 11 city council meeting.
The committee, which consisted of Britton Perry â former Ward 2 councilor David Perryâs son â Richard Stawicki and Aleisha Karjala, according to an article by the Norman Transcript, chose Lauren Schueler based on her âready answers, broad experience and determination.â Â
Originally there were ten candidates vying for the position after Ward 2 councilor Matt McGarry stepped down a month after his election to accept a job offer at an Ivy League institution. Following this instance, the committee formed to find a new councilmember. Â
After two vacancies in one year, nearly a dozen new and former candidates applied for the Norman City Councilâs interim Ward 2 seat.Â
The Ward 2 carousel began after the sudden death of former Ward 2 councilmember David Perry last August. The seat was filled by a city council appointee and former Ward 2 councilmember, Joe Carter, who did not seek permanent election in the February 2021 election.Â
OU Russian Professor Matt McGarry won the February election with 51.34 percent of the vote, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. McGarry resigned the following month to accept a job offer at an Ivy League institution, prompting another vacancy.Â