Todd Hiett (born July 9, 1967) is an American rancher and

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 ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from

Kellyville, Oklahoma Kellyville is a town in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,150 at the 2010 census, compared to 906 in 2000. History Kellyville was named for James E. Kelly , who established a local trading post in 1892 and opened a pos ...

. He 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 ...

from 1995 until 2007. During his final two years in office, Hiett served as the

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

. Hiett was the first Republican to hold that position in over eight decades. Once he completed the maximum twelve-year term (

term limits A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

are constitutionally mandated in Oklahoma), Hiett launched a campaign to succeed

Mary Fallin Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014. She was the first and s ...

as the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. Hiett lost the 2006 race to

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 ...

Jari Askins Jari Askins (born April 27, 1953) is an American judge, lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, being the second woman and the first female Democratic Party member to hol ...

Personal life

Hiett was born in

to Jim and Beverly Hiett. He is married to Bridget Anne Beil, with whom he has three children named Jimmy, John and Hillary.

Political career

Hiett has said he was motivated to enter politics when the

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture. It is responsible for providing services and expertise that promote and protect Oklahoma's food s ...

quarantined his herd of cattle, and extended the quarantine even after receiving blood tests on the animals that were negative for any disease. Hiett had to appear before the state Board of Agriculture to get the quarantine lifted. Representing the 29th House District, Hiett served in the Oklahoma House from 1995 to 2007, quickly becoming the House Minority Leader in 2002. After the Republicans took control of the House in 2005, Hiett was elected Speaker, the first Republican to serve in over eighty years. Hiett is only the second Republican to hold that position. The first was

George B. Schwabe George Blaine Schwabe (July 26, 1886 – April 2, 1952) was an American politician and a Republican U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma. Biography Schwabe was born in Arthur in Vernon County son of George Washington Schwabe and Emily Ellen (Mose) S ...

, who served from 1921-23. Hiett entered the Republican

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

to replace outgoing Republican

as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. In the primaries on July 25, 2006, Hiett faced

Nancy Riley Nancy may refer to: Places France * Nancy, France, a city in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle and formerly the capital of the duchy of Lorraine ** Arrondissement of Nancy, surrounding and including the city of Nancy ...

and

Scott Pruitt Edward Scott Pruitt (born May 9, 1968) is an American lawyer, lobbyist and Republican politician from the state of Oklahoma. He served as the fourteenth Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from February 17, 2017, to Jul ...

. Riley received 23% of the vote, Pruitt received 34%, and Hiett received 43%. Hiett, according to Oklahoma state law, had to face Pruitt in a

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...

, with the winner receiving the party's nomination. Following the run-off election on August 22, 2006, Hiett received 66,217 votes and 50.92% as opposed to Pruitt's 63,812 votes and 49.08%. Hiett was the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, but he lost to Democratic

House Minority Leader Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are ele ...

in the November general election.General Election 2006
Oklahoma State Election Board - http://www.ok.gov/elections (accessed May 8, 2013)

Electoral history

References

External links

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hiett, Todd 1967 births 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Living people People from Creek County, Oklahoma Ranchers from Oklahoma Speakers of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Corporation Commissioners of Oklahoma