Gov. Kevin Stitt and Democratic candidate and Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister discussed abortion, tribal sovereignty and education in the governor’s debate on Wednesday.
The debate, hosted at the Will Rogers Theater in Oklahoma City, was moderated by Tres Savage, the editor-in-chief of NonDoc, and Storme Jones, a News 9 reporter.
Stitt, now vying for a second term, reflected on his past four years as governor in his opening statement. He said his term was responsible for the “largest” investment in education and the lowest unemployment rate in state history.
Stitt also said the turnaround following the COVID-19 era economy was working as a result of his policies.
“We simply can't go backwards, and we know what will happen if we put Biden's party back in charge,” Stitt said.
Hofmeister said she aspires to improve education, increase affordable healthcare, prioritize infrastructure and ensure the safety of Oklahoma’s communities in her opening statements.
“We've got to get back to common sense, respect for one another, working together and getting things done,” Hofmeister said.
Stitt said Oklahoma was ranked first in affordable electricity, fifth in bridge conditions and, before his first term, 50th in incarceration rates.
Oklahoma ranked 18th in affordable electricity in June 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. While Oklahoma did rank in the top ten in the nation for the Transportation Department’s bridges, it ranked in the bottom ten for the conditions of all bridges in the state. Oklahoma also had the second highest incarceration rate in the U.S. in 2021.
Stitt asked Hofmeister why Oklahoma was ranked near the bottom in education. Hofmeister responded that she did not have the “people on the team to meet the needs of students.”
Hofmeister said Oklahoma has a teacher shortage, adding that Oklahoma needs more properly trained teachers suitable to meet the needs of students in order to combat the issue. Hofmeister also said Oklahoma is among the lowest in education in the country when it comes to teacher pay and per student spending.
“We are no longer at the top of the region,” Hofmeister said. “You have to invest in people.”
The moderators asked where Hofmeister stood as a Democrat, considering her history as a Republican official.
Hofmeister previously switched parties when announcing her run for governor in late 2021, citing her belief that Stitt “hijacked” the Republican Party as the cause for her decision.
“I'm an independent thinker. I am running as an Oklahoman. And I'm on one team,” Hofmeister said. “I was a Republican longer than Stitt was registered to vote.”
On the hiring market’s skill gap, Stitt said there must be more connection between higher education, common education and CareerTech, citing Norman’s recently instituted aviation program.
Hofmeister said Stitt has focused on “short term gain,” claiming that Oklahoma needs a governor who “understands education” and will “put Oklahomans first.”
On State Question 820, which would make recreational marijuana use for 21-year-olds and up legal, Hofmeister said she’s uncertain on where she stands on the issue. Stitt said he will not decriminalize the drug’s usage.
Also in the debate, both candidates expressed their support for the death penalty. Hofmeister said Stitt allowed the killers of Michele Powers and Andrea Blankenship out of prison, referring to the 1992 murder of Michele Rae Powers by Jimmie Dean Stohler and the 2021 triple murder of Andrea Blankenship, Leon Pye and Pye’s granddaughter by Lawrence Anderson.
Stohler was originally set for parole in 2022 before Stitt revoked it. Anderson received early release in 2021 before killing the three victims three weeks later.
Stitt said Oklahoma has the lowest recidivism rate in the country and called the Hofmeister's reference to the victims “disgusting.”
According to World Population Review, Oklahoma is ranked fifth in lowest recidivism rates.
Hofmeister said Oklahoma’s violent crime rates are higher than violent crime rates in New York and California, which Stitt denied. According to a 2020 USA Today ranking based on 2018 statistics, Oklahoma ranks 12th in violent crime, California ranks 14th and New York ranks 25th.
On abortion, Stitt said he believes life begins at conception, but there are exceptions being left to healthcare professionals, such as if the mother’s life is at risk or in instances of rape or incest that has been reported to law enforcement.
“(Hofmeister) stands with the most extreme of her party and they will not say, ‘When is it too late to take a human life?’” Stitt said.
Hofmeister said abortion is a decision that should be left to a woman and her healthcare provider.
“I am personally pro-life, but I haven't walked in every woman's shoes,” Hofmeister said. “He has signed and invited the most extreme ban on abortion in this country."
On the subject of McGirt v. Oklahoma, the Supreme Court case dealing with tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction within the boundaries of the state, Hofmeister advocated for tribal sovereignty.
Hofmeister said tribal sovereignty allows for each tribe’s voice to be equally represented.
“We have to be able to have a governor who understands and respects the tribal sovereignty of the 39 sovereign nations in the state,” Hofmeister said. “We will build on the trust and respect that I’ve established (with tribal nations).”
Hofmeister was endorsed by the five largest tribes in the state last week, the first time the tribes have endorsed a gubernatorial candidate.
Stitt said all Oklahomans are under the same laws, adding the case’s new ruling was “common sense.” Stitt said there should be a belief in Oklahoma’s rule of law and the ability to prosecute all crimes in the same manner without the restrictions of tribal sovereignty.
“It actually protects tribal members,” Stitt said. “She is for federalizing Oklahoma.”
The moderators asked Stitt whether he considered tribal nations sovereign. Stitt said since the federal government calls tribal governments “domestic dependent sovereigns,” he considers them sovereign.
In reference to the Swadley’s Bar-B-Q scandal, where the Oklahoma Tourism Department overpaid the restaurant by $17 million, Stitt said taxpayers did not lose money.
In April, after a report conducted by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, concerns were raised as to the extent Swadley’s Bar-B-Q was funded, prompting Oklahoma’s tourism chief Jerry Winchester to resign.
“If we find out any vendors (are) doing things wrong, we're (going to) hold them accountable,” Hofmeister said. “(We) can’t even trust (Stitt) with barbeque.”
In his closing statement, Stitt claimed in his term, Oklahoma has “balanced its budget” and given teachers and law enforcement pay raises while cutting taxes.
“Oklahoma’s turnaround that you elected me to do is working,” Stitt said. “We’ve got a lot of momentum. We don’t want to go backwards.”
Hofmeister’s closing statements included references to Stitt’s “cronyism and corruption,” and she reaffirmed her plans to be a moderate governor.
“Oklahoma is at a tipping point,” Hofmeister said. “Freedom is on the ballot, to make decisions for yourself and (with) your trusted doctor. This governor wants to privatize education. All of this is about common sense, respect for one another (and) working together.”
Early voting in Oklahoma is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 3-4. Election day is Nov. 8. Polling locations and voter registration status can be checked on the OK Voter portal.
