OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma House Republicans voted behind closed doors on Monday to designate a two-term state representative from southeast Oklahoma as their choice for speaker beginning in 2017.
The 71-member Republican caucus picked Rep. Charles McCall, a community banker from Atoka, over retired educator Rep. Earl Sears of Bartlesville.
“I take a servant’s approach to leadership,” said McCall, 46, a former city councilman and mayor from Atoka. “I believe it’s my job to serve the members of the House of Representatives.”
McCall was named speaker-designate in line to replace outgoing Speaker Jeff Hickman, who is term-limited. Hickman will remain speaker for the rest of the year.
“It was probably the most civil and cordial race, between two friends, in the 12 years that I’ve been here,” said Hickman, R-Fairview. “Our caucus has been unified throughout this process and remains unified throughout this process as we move forward to finishing the session and putting a budget together that reflects the priorities of Oklahomans.”
McCall said his priority will be pushing policies to promote job growth in Oklahoma.
“Jobs will drive state revenue, drive prosperity,” McCall said. “It will create a situation where we can properly and adequately fund education, we can properly and adequately fund health care, and roads and bridges, and the Department of Corrections.”
The position of speaker of the House is one of the most powerful in state government. Besides overseeing House operations and developing policy, the speaker and Senate president pro tempore are responsible for negotiating with the governor on how to divvy up roughly $6 billion a year from the state’s General Revenue Fund.
The vote was conducted by secret ballot and the final tally wasn’t revealed. Sears, who has served 10 years in the House and had strong support from some of the more veteran members, congratulated McCall on the victory and said the caucus remains unified.
“Charles and I had a spirited race,” said Sears, chairman of the powerful House Appropriations and Budget Committee. “The caucus has spoken and I accept it. He has my complete 100 percent support.”
McCall will face a second vote after November’s elections and a final vote in 2017, but those are typically a formality. Republicans hold a 71-30 advantage over Democrats in the House, so it’s highly unlikely Republicans will lose control of the chamber.
Senate Republicans last week selected Sen. Mike Schulz, an Altus farmer, as the Senate president pro tem-designate to replace term-limited Senate leader Brian Bingman.
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