First Democrat enters race to become Oklahoma's next state superintendent
Jennettie Marshall filed her candidacy paperwork with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Thursday, Aug. 14. She is the first Democrat to enter the race.
Marshall said at her campaign kickoff in Tulsa that she wants to repair relationships she believes have been damaged by current state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, a far-right Republican who is often critical of teachers' unions and school administrator salaries.
'(W)hen you attack our superintendents, when you attack our school boards, that trickles down to our families and our students and makes learning a hostile environment,' Marshall told Tulsa television station KOKI. 'No one can be productive in a hostile environment, so that would be a key, is restoring relationships which will restore trust in that office."
Marshall represented parts of north Tulsa on the school board for two terms but chose not to run for a third term in 2025. She was one of two board members who requested an audit of the district by state Auditor Cindy Byrd's office. Auditors investigated district financial records from 2015 to 2023, and found $25 million was spent without proper bidding along with $824,503 in fraud by a former administrator.
Another former Tulsa board member, Jerry Griffin, now is running as an independent candidate for the office, meaning he'll automatically be on the general election ballot in November 2026. He served on the Tulsa school board from June 2020 through January 2024.
Three Republicans have active candidacies for the race: retired Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller; Peggs Public School Superintendent John Cox; and Ana Landsaw, of Tahlequah, who works as the assistant director of the Alternative Certification for Educators Institute at Northeastern State University, which provides training for career professionals transitioning into a teaching career.
Walters, who's in his first term as state superintendent, has not yet announced his future political plans.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Democratic challenger jumps into Oklahoma school superintendent race
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