MIDLAND, Texas — The people of District 2 have spoken, John Norman will now officially represent them on city council.
His roots run deep in Midland, he was born and raised in District 2 and knows what it means to work hard. He was a football star at Lee, earned a full ride to Texas Tech that helped him get on to the Philadelphia Eagles for a time.
If you ask him, he is most proud of his current team. Playing fulltime husband, dad, coach and teacher.
He knows what it means to play ball. But now, he is in for a whole new ball game, politics.
“I saw this as an opportunity to connect with an entire city," John Norman, District 2 councilman elect said. "And not just our kids, but the parents and our elders that live within our community and connecting the entire city in Midland.”
Norman's first focus is tackling one of the biggest issues in his district that happens to be the largest in size and minority-majority, getting more people out to the polls.
Just over 500 people voted in Tuesday's election that got him elected. Nearly 13,000 people are registered to vote in that district. The new councilman says you can not even make a game plan for a district unless there are players.
“ It’s our God-given right to do so, to vote and be involved," Norman said. "A lot of people know our history in this country and we have a lot of voter suppression going on and so we have to go out and teach people the importance of voting."
In his first 30 days, Norman plans on making an advisory committee with two people from each of his nine precincts.
“That way they can advise me on different things and we can come together as a community we can appoint people to the low voter turnout issue,” Norman said.
He also wants to move polling locations.
“We have two weeks of early voting but we only have one polling place for people to go to and it’s outside of the district," Norman said. "Then on election day we have four other places open, for people to go and vote but that’s only for one day.”
While you need to be 18 to vote, Norman says the voting lesson needs to start young.
“Now I have some skin in the game," Norman said. "So I can advocate for our young people and you know so they know at an early age that voting matters and your voice counts.”
Norman will be sworn in Feb. 24 and his first council meeting will be Feb. 25.
For more details on John Norman click here.