Spencer Thomas Bernard (February 5, 1918 – March 9, 2001) was an American politician from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. Bernard served as the 11th

lieutenant governor of Oklahoma The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resi ...

from 1979 to 1987. He also served in the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

Early life and private career

Bernard was born February 5, 1918. Bernard operated a peanut-processing plant and a farming and ranching operation in Rush Springs.Spencer Bernard tops opponents early in race for lieutenant governor
''The Oklahoman'', August 25, 1982. (accessed July 23, 2013)

Political career

Bernard was elected to the

as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in 1960.Greiner, John.
Former Lt. Gov. Spencer Bernard Dies, Governor orders flags to be flown at half-staff
" ''The Oklahoman'', March 10, 2001. (accessed July 24, 2013) He served 18 years, six of which were as speaker pro tempore, the second-in-command leadership position in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Having prevailed with 25% as first in a wide field of primary candidates and won the runoff with 63% against State Auditor Gladys Warren, he was elected lieutenant governor in 1978 with considerable margin of 57.8% to 39.7% over his Republican opponent Terry Campbell. In his first term, he arranged for more than $14 million in agricultural exports to Taiwan. In his reelection campaign in 1982, he defeated Democratic primary opponents John Rogers, a former secretary of state from Oklahoma City, and Rodney Ray of

Jenks, Oklahoma Jenks is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, and a suburb of Tulsa, in the northeastern part of the state. It is situated between the Arkansas River and U.S. Route 75. Jenks is one of the fastest-growing cities in Oklahoma. The city's ...

and won the general election against

Norman Lamb Sir Norman Peter Lamb (born 16 September 1957) is a British politician and solicitor. He was the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) for North Norfolk from 2001 to 2019, and was the chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee ...

, increasing his result to 61%.

Death

Bernard died on March 9, 2001, and was buried in the Rush Springs Cemetery in

Rush Springs, Oklahoma Rush Springs is a town in Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,231 at the 2010 census. The town promotes itself as the "Watermelon Capital of the World." The community's largest event is the annual Rush Springs Watermelo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernard, Spencer 1918 births 2001 deaths Lieutenant Governors of Oklahoma 20th-century Members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives 20th-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives