OKLAHOMA CITY — When Michael Rogers decided not to run for another term in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, he thought his days in politics were over.
But Rogers, a Republican from Broken Arrow, now will be one of the more high-profile members of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s administration after being tapped as secretary of state and education secretary.
The appointment comes after Rogers previously decided not to seek another term representing House District 98, citing his wife’s health and the workload required of him as chairman of the House Common Education Committee.
That all changed when Rogers met with Stitt after the primary and became impressed with his plans for the state.
“After meeting with him, seeing his vision, what he wanted to do, when the offer came, I was excited to jump on board,” Rogers said.
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Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, backed Rogers, saying he was thoughtful in decision-making and “very easy to work with.”
“He really wanted to evaluate all sides to any issue, which I thought was good,” Stanislawski said. “I respected his thoughts and opinions.”
Rogers made headlines in 2017 when he sent colleagues an email that referred to declining state revenue for schools as “fake news.”
Rogers did not return phone calls seeking comment about the email, but Stitt’s spokesperson, Donelle Harder did.
“Secretary Rogers did not call the reduction of the education budget fake news,” Harder said in a written statement. “In an extended e-mail thread two years ago, Rogers’ comments were given in reply to a specific dollar amount that was being discussed and debated. Public educators have praised Rogers for his role as a consensus builder and negotiator while in the legislature, and he clearly demonstrated this through his support of House Bill 1010XX last year.”
The bill raised taxes to provide for raises for teachers.
Before getting into politics, Rogers grew up in New Mexico and played baseball at Oral Roberts University. While participating in an off-season summer baseball league in Alaska, he met his now wife, Krystal. Rogers later toiled in the minor leagues for a few years before his career was cut short by injury.
It was then that he and Krystal decided to make Oklahoma their permanent home.
Rogers later served as an athletic director and administrator for a small Christian school in Broken Arrow before running for the Oklahoma House.
Moving forward, Rogers said he will spend the first year as part of Stitt’s administration in an apartment and commuting to Broken Arrow before moving his family to the Oklahoma City area.
In his role as secretary of state, Rogers said he will be tasked with carrying out the governor’s policy agenda and building relationships with lawmakers.
That includes, Rogers said, a focus on education. He said the governor wants to bring teachers to the top in the region in earnings after last year’s tax hike that funded an average raise of $6,100.
“More than anything, I am excited for the opportunity and excited to serve with a governor who wants to move the needle,” Rogers said.
Stitt does not want to maintain the status quo but “wants to lock arms with the Legislature and get some things done to help move the state forward,” he said.
