Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, who cannot run again in 2026 due to term limits, addressed the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial race at a conference on Tuesday. Stitt warned “there’s a bunch of people who are gonna do and say anything to get this job.”
The governor added: “As you see people running for governor, they’re trying to get headlines, they’re trying to get their names in the paper.”
One of those potential candidates is Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters, the former Education Secretary, who backs a proposed regulation — needing approval from the governor and the legislature — that would make schools track the number of students who cannot verify their immigration status and report the data to the State Department of Education.
Addressing the MAGA-influenced policy that requires schools to essentially partner with ICE, Stitt said: “I guess it’s when you’re picking on kids, I guess when you’re using them as political pawns, this is getting ridiculous.”
The governor added: “I’ve gotta call balls and strikes when I see people attacking my state, or not doing a good job in education. I’m gonna step in and do what I can to try and fix it.”
Being Governor is the best job in the world. And there’s a bunch of people who are gonna do and say anything to get this job.
I’m just calling balls & strikes and serving Oklahomans the best I can. pic.twitter.com/sps1cl61WN
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) February 12, 2025
Taking the opportunity at the podium to defend his own record as governor, Stitt boasted of some his accomplishments including “putting more money in education” and having “fewer people incarcerated today than when I was put in office.” Stitt also promised: “I’m gonna have fewer state employees when I leave, eight years from when I started.”
On Tuesday Stitt dismissed three members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, saying the state’s education system had lost its way: “After months of headlines followed by disappointing NAEP scores this month,” Stitt’s statement read, “it’s clear that our education infrastructure has fallen prey to needless political drama.”
Another gubernatorial hopeful with views that don’t align with Stitt’s is Oklahoma’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who announced in January that he’s running for Governor. Drummond has been a loud critic of Stitt’s support of what would be the first publicly funded religious charter school in the U.S.
Drummond argued before the state Supreme Court that Stitt’s “Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board violated both Oklahoma law and the state and federal constitutions.”
The case is now headed to the U.S. Supreme Court where it will likely be argued in April and decided by early summer. The National Catholic Reporter recently revealed that Justice Amy Coney Barrett has recused herself from the case without explanation.
On the matter of religious education, Stitt and Walters, with whom he’s at odds over the immigration issue in schools, are somewhat more aligned. As Oklahoma Secretary of Public Education, Walters said he bought more than 500 Trump-endorsed “God Bless the USA” Bibles (which retail for $59.99) for the state’s public schoolrooms.
According to The Oklahoman, in 2024 Walters “endorsed spending as much as $6 million in taxpayer funds to distribute Bibles to classrooms statewide.”
As seen below, Walters supports universal school choice and the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education, so states can have full autonomy of their education budgets.
“THERE SHOULD NOT BE A DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. IT’S STANDING IN THE WAY OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS NOT PROMOTING IT.” @RyanWaltersSupt details what it looks like to strip away the Department of Education.@AmandaHead @jsolomonReports pic.twitter.com/ZCnWwYOD8m
— Real America’s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) February 12, 2025
On Thursday, AG Drummond issued a letter to the newly appointed members to the State Board of Education. He wrote: “While I welcome the Governor’s apparent ‘shake-up’ of the Board, this action is only necessary because of Gov. Stitt’s extremely poor judgment in appointing, promoting and then endorsing Ryan Walters and his anti-public schools agenda.
“As a new board member, you must act independently of Gov. Stitt and Superintendent Walters. The oath of office you take is to the Constitution and Oklahoma law.”
My message to the newly appointed members to the State Board of Education: As a new board member, you must act independently of Gov. Stitt and Superintendent Walters. The oath of office you take is to the Constitution and Oklahoma law. https://t.co/Sbzk4qKhwO
— Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (@Okla_OAG) February 13, 2025
What happened to the former members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education? Two of them — Katie Quebedeaux and Kendra Wesson — have become members of what Walters calls the new Trump Advisory Committee.
Walters describes the committee as a “DOGE-style education oversight group” which vows to “take back our schools from the Federal Department of Education.”
The Trump Advisory Committee is here to fight on behalf of Oklahoma Students, their families, and our educators.
The weak will be exposed. The corrupt will be held accountable. And Oklahoma’s children will finally have access to the educational journey they deserve. pic.twitter.com/TxBcqrrava
— Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) February 12, 2025