Mark Costello (November 10, 1955 – August 23, 2015) was an American politician and businessman who served as Commissioner of Labor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2015. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he was elected in 2010, defeating the Democratic incumbent, Lloyd Fields. Before his election he was a businessman who founded several technology companies. After taking office, he established a non-profit advocacy group to oppose the positions of public employee unions, and fought federal regulations on family farms.

Personal life

Costello was born in Bartlesville and graduated from College High School, then attended the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

while working summers on oil rigs in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...

. He married Cathy Cerkey in 1982; they had five children."Oklahoma Agencies, Boards, and Commissions: Elected Officers, Cabinet, Legislature, High Courts, and Institutions"
Oklahoma Department of Libraries, September 1, 2012. Costello founded American Computer & Telephone (AMCAT) in 1991, a telephone software company based in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

. AMCAT was sold in 2007. He founded another telecommunications company, USA Digital Communications, in 1997. He identified as

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and

pro-life Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respon ...

, and was a member of the National Rifle Association.

Death

Costello was fatally stabbed by his son, Christian, on August 23, 2015, at a Braum's restaurant in

. His son was arrested following the incident, and was reported to have a history of mental illness. In 2018, Christian Costello was declared not guilty by reason of insanity, and was committed to a state mental hospital.

Election results

*July 27, 2010 Republican Primary *November 2, 2010 General Election *November 4, 2014 General Election

References

1955 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople 21st-century American politicians Businesspeople from Oklahoma Burials in Oklahoma Deaths by stabbing in the United States Oklahoma Labor Commissioners Oklahoma Republicans Patricides People from Bartlesville, Oklahoma People from Edmond, Oklahoma People murdered in Oklahoma University of Kansas alumni {{Oklahoma-politician-stub