House GOP lawmaker launches state superintendent campaign

OKLAHOMA CITY — Former teacher and state Rep. Toni Hasenbeck announced Wednesday she will enter a crowded GOP primary race for state superintendent.

As she makes her bid for Oklahoma’s top education office, Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, contended she’s the most qualified and most conservative candidate in the field. She was a principal author of state laws banning transgender girls from participating in girls sports and prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors. 

“If you elect me as your state superintendent, I will restore Oklahoma values — faith, family, freedom and fundamentals — in every school,” she said in her campaign announcement.

Hasenbeck, who hasn’t yet filed paperwork with the state to establish her candidacy, pledged to promote parents’ rights, “eradicate indoctrination,” prioritize Bible access and require teachers to be trained in the science of reading, among several other priorities.

She claimed she is the only candidate in the race with classroom experience and a proven conservative voting record. 

Two of her Republican opponents are former teachers, Rob Miller and John Cox, both of whom later became district superintendents. She also will face a fellow GOP lawmaker, state Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, in the primary race. Tahlequah Republican Ana Davine Landsaw also has filed to run.

Republican voters will choose a candidate from the crowded field in the June 16 primary election. If no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote earners will continue to a runoff election on Aug. 25.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Independent candidate Jerry Griffin, a former Tulsa Board of Education member. Former El Reno Public Schools Superintendent Craig McVay and another former Tulsa school board member, Jennettie Marshall, are vying for the Democratic nomination.