Stitt takes office, promises new state pride
Kevin Stitt was inaugurated Monday as Oklahoma’s 28th governor, promising to bring Oklahomans a new sense of pride in their state after an era of budget turmoil and declines in many quality-of-life metrics.
“It’s this pride that will allow us to move forward together — not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Oklahomans locked hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm,” said Stitt, 46, who built a national mortgage company in Tulsa before entering the 2018 gubernatorial race as a political unknown.
With his wife, Sarah, by his side on the south steps of the state Capitol, Stitt was administered the oath of office at 12:11 p.m. by Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Noma Gurich. After taking the oath, Stitt immediately walked over to his six children and gave each a kiss.
A few minutes later, Stitt delivered a 15-minute inaugural address that included a recounting of why he decided to run for office.
“I traveled the country visiting my offices in other states, seeing their economies take off and thrive,” Stitt said. “I would then come home to the state that I love to find us struggling, stuck at the bottom in every category that matters.
“We know we can be, and should be, a top-ten state.”
Eight other statewide officials also were administered the oath of office on Monday: Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, Attorney General Mike Hunter, Auditor Cindy Byrd, schools
Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn, Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready, Treasurer Randy McDaniel and Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony.
“Laying my hand on that Bible was certainly one of the most humbling and nerve-racking experiences of my life,” Pinnell said.
Stitt’s children led the Pledge of Allegiance, the 145th Army Band performed and four fighter jets streaked across the sky as a couple of thousand people gathered under a partly cloudy sky and temperatures in the mid-30s.
Political dignitaries filled the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony and a reception that followed.
A $250-per-ticket ball was Monday night in downtown Oklahoma City, but the midday ceremony was free to the public, which included Stitt voters who said they wanted to witness the historic event and meet Oklahoma’s new governor.
“I think he is going to be amazing,” said Kari Chynoweth, who waited nearly an hour in line to shake hands with Stitt and his wife. “He just comes across as someone who is going to work hard and really loves his state.”
Era of change
Monday’s inauguration capped off an election of
change at the state Capitol, as nearly one-third of state representatives and senators are starting their first term.
However, Republicans maintain their trifecta of power over both legislative branches and the governor’s office, which has been held by Mary Fallin for the past eight years.
The change in the Legislature was the result of dozens of incumbents choosing not to seek reelection, while several others failed in their reelection bids.
After years of budget shortfalls, state agency layoffs and last year’s statewide teacher walkout, voters seemingly were looking for a change.
Stitt campaigned on his lack of political experience and said Oklahomans would be best served with a CEO as governor.
“In a Stitt administration, Oklahoma is open for business,” Stitt said in his address, adding he would aggressively recruit new business to the state.
Stitt enters office at a time when the state budget is growing, giving him a chance to make up for agency cuts made in recent years.
Legislative leaders also have expressed support for expanding the governor’s ability to hire and to fire agency directors.
“I think there is an optimism in the building that I haven’t seen in a long time,” Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat said. “Obviously there are going to be disagreements from time to time, but I think you are going to see more teamwork than you’ve seen in a while.”
But Stitt’s first term comes at a time when rural hospitals across the state are struggling to stay open, the use of emergency certified teachers continues to grow and Oklahoma’s incarceration rate leads the nation.
“Big goals can often feel unattainable,” Stitt said in his first remarks as the state’s governor. “But don’t say that to a guy who was told it was impossible to a build a nationwide mortgage company with just $1,000 and a computer, and who was told a political outsider couldn’t become governor.”
Fixing problems
Stitt recounted his upbringing during his address as a “typical Oklahoma son” who worked summers on his grandparents’ dairy farm and spent Sundays at church listening to his father preach.
Stitt said running for governor was not a life goal of his but that, after the economic challenges of the past several years, he wanted to lead the state to a firm footing.
“It was this environment that caused me to reach deep and ask what more can I do to make a difference, to address a pattern seen throughout our state’s history — from the Dust Bowl of the 1930s to the oil glut of the 1980s — where we have lived for each boom and starved in each bust,” Stitt said.
Stitt said government alone could not fix the state’s problems and that it would take Oklahomans pitching in.
“We must get involved in our schools, in our churches, in our neighborhoods, in our local nonprofits to diagnose and solve the unique challenges county-by-county, that no person falls through the cracks, because every life in Oklahoma is worthy of our respect and help,” he said.
Stitt also promised to bring an increased level of financial transparency to the state, usher in a new era of modern technology and increase cooperation between institutions of common and higher education.
“Here is my commitment to you: You the people come first,” Stitt said. “I commit to you to be a good listener, a continuous learner, a committed communicator, and a bold leader for the decisions that make a difference for today’s children and the next generation.”