Speaker McCall, Speaker Pro Tempore Wright reelected to lead Oklahoma House of Representatives


Oklahoma City — The full House of Representatives officially elected state Rep. Charles McCall to serve as Speaker of the House for the 57th Oklahoma Legislature during Organizational Day, held Tuesday, January 8.

As explained in a House staff press release, “Organizational Day is a constitutionally mandated day for the Legislature to convene and certify the election results from November, formally seat newly elected members and elect House leadership.”

Speaker McCall, a Republican from Atoka, said in the release sent to CapitolBeatOK and other news organizations, “Serving in the Legislature is not about us; it is about working for the good of our citizens. “In the House of Representatives, we are the body closest to the people, and those citizens want a responsive, productive Legislature. The citizens of this state have sent us here to solve problems.
“Last year, the House was able to come together and move Oklahoma forward. We may have different ideas, but we must work together to find a path forward that is in the best interest of all. I believe that, together, we can enact policies that create a better economic climate, that improve our education and healthcare systems and that better serve our marginalized citizens.”

The full body also re-elected state Rep. Harold Wright, R-Weatherford, to serve as Speaker Pro-Tempore of the House.
“I am very honored to again be selected by my peers to help lead the House of Representatives,” said Wright. 
“I pledge to continue doing my job impartially for all members of the House. We are, after all, Oklahomans before we are Republicans and Democrats, and I believe we can work together to make Oklahoma an even better place to live and work.”

The House also certified the election results from November 6, 2018 and seated all 101 members of the House. Every House member must run for re-election every two years. This year, 46 new members and 55 incumbents were elected to the House.
Both the House and Senate will reconvene on February 4 to begin the 57th Oklahoma Legislature.