OKLAHOMA CITY — House Republicans on Monday elected Rep. Charles McCall as speaker designate.
The Atoka banker defeated House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville.
House Speaker Jeff Hickman, R-Fairview, is serving his final term in office.
“It was probably the most civil and cordial race between two friends in the 12 years I’ve been here,” Hickman said.
McCall, 46, is a former Atoka city councilor and mayor. He and his wife, Stephanie, have two sons.
Republicans will take a second vote after the November elections to tap a speaker elect. The full House will then vote during organizational day.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to be selected as the speaker designate by the Republican caucus,” McCall said.
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He noted that Hickman remains speaker, adding that the House has a tremendous amount of work to do in the final four weeks of the legislative session.
The state needs to continue to make job growth a priority, McCall said.
“Jobs will drive the state revenue,” he said. “It will drive prosperity for individuals of this state, and it will create a situation where we can properly and adequately fund education. We can properly and adequately fund health care, roads and bridges, the Department of Corrections.”
Republicans control the 101-member House with 71 members.
“Debate is a healthy thing, and we should not shy away from that,” McCall said. “And there will be issues that will be debated and there will be a diversity of opinion, but at the end of the day, we can disagree without being disagreeable. And that is the sign of a healthy caucus and a healthy House of Representatives.”
McCall has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Oklahoma.
He said he is the first Republican to hold the House District 22 seat. He is term limited in 2024.
