Todd Hiett Explained

Todd Hiett
Office:Member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Class 1
Governor:Mary Fallin
Kevin Stitt
Term Start:January 12, 2015
Predecessor:Patrice Douglas
Office1:Chairman of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Governor1:Kevin Stitt
Term Start1:April 1, 2019
Term End1:August 7, 2024
Predecessor1:Dana Murphy
Successor1:Kim David
Office2:Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Term Start2:January 2005
Term End2:January 2007
Predecessor2:Larry Adair
Successor2:Lance Cargill
Office3:Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Term Start3:2002
Term End3:January 2005
Predecessor3:Fred Morgan
Successor3:Jari Askins
State House4:Oklahoma
District4:29th
Term Start4:January 1995
Term End4:January 2007
Predecessor4:David Thompson
Successor4:Skye McNiel
Birth Place:Kellyville, Oklahoma, U.S.
Party:Republican
Education:Oklahoma State University, Stillwater (BS)

Todd Hiett is an American rancher and politician who has served on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission since 2015.

A rancher from Kellyville, Oklahoma, Hiett was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1994 and served until term limited in 2006. He was elected the Republican minority leader in 2002 and became Speaker of the House in 2005 when Republicans won control of the chamber. Hiett was the first Republican to hold that position in over eight decades.

In 2006, he launched a campaign to succeed Mary Fallin as the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. Hiett lost the 2006 race to the Democratic nominee Jari Askins. In 2014, Hiett was elected to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and he was reelected in 2020. In April 2019 his fellow commissioners elected him chairman of the commission. He resigned the chairmanship in August 2024.

Education and family

Todd Hiett graduated from Oklahoma State University. He is married with three children and lives on a ranch near Kellyville, Oklahoma.[1]

Political career

Hiett has said he was motivated to enter politics when the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture 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.[2]

Oklahoma House

Representing the 29th House District, Hiett was first elected in 1994 to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He became the House Minority Leader in 2002.[3] In 2004, Hiett supported the impeachment of Carroll Fisher, the then-Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner.

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.[4] The first was George B. Schwabe, who served from 1921-23.

2006 Lt. Governor campaign

He did not run for reelection in 2006, instead running to succeed Mary Fallin as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. In the July 25 primary Hiett faced Nancy Riley and Scott Pruitt. Riley received 23% of the vote, Pruitt received 34%, and Hiett received 43%.[5] Hiett, according to Oklahoma state law, had to face Pruitt in a runoff, 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%.[6] Hiett was the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, but he lost to Democratic House Minority Leader Jari Askins in the November general election.[7]

Oklahoma Corporation Commission

In 2014, Hiett was elected to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.[8] On April 1, 2019 he became the chairman of the commission.[9] In 2020, he was reelected to a second term. He stepped down as chairman of the commission on August 7, 2024, amid a sexual harassment scandal, but did not resign from office. He was succeeded as chairman by Kim David.[10]

Sexual harassment allegations

In July 2024 it was reported that Hiett had "acted inappropriately" at the Mid-American Regulatory Conference in Minneapolis the month prior.[11] Later that month more details about how Hiett "groped a man" who worked for a company regulated by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which Hiett chaired at the time, were published.[12] Hiett refused to resign, said he did not remember the incident, and that it was "horseplay," but did seek treatment for alcohol addiction.[13] Corporation Commissioner Kim David called for an independent investigation while Commissioner Bob Anthony called for Hiett's resignation. Cyndi Munson, the Democratic minority leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, called for Governor Kevin Stitt to convene a special session for his impeachment over the allegations.[14]

Electoral history

August 2024.

Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Republican Primary Election, 1994
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett1,19059.41
RepublicanKevin Farmer81340.59
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 1994
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett5,13153.72
DemocraticDavid Thompson (incumbent)4,42046.28
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 1996
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett (incumbent)6,60457.52
DemocraticDavid Thompson4,87842.48
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 1998
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett (incumbent)5,25158.20
DemocraticEdmond Tex Slyman3,77141.80
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett (incumbent)n/a100.00
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 2002
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett (incumbent)n/a100.00
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 2004
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett (incumbent)9,00663.63
DemocraticJim Thompson5,14836.37
Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Republican Primary Election, 2006
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett76,63442.82
RepublicanScott Pruitt60,36733.73
RepublicanNancy Riley41,98423.46
Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Republican Primary Runoff Election, 2006
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTodd Hiett66,22050.92
RepublicanScott Pruitt63,81749.08
Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Election, 2006
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJari Askins463,75350.14
RepublicanTodd Hiett439,41847.51
IndependentE. Z. Million21,6842.34

References

  1. Web site: Commissioner Todd Hiett . Oklahoma Corporation Commission . 2 August 2024 . en.
  2. Hinton, Mick. "From cow barn to House, hard work is Hiett's job", Tulsa World, August 13, 2006
  3. Web site: Griffin. David. Hiett chosen to lead Oklahoma House GOP. 2021-05-05. www.newson6.com. en.
  4. Web site: 2020-06-30. Hiett bests challenger in Corporation Commission primary. 2021-05-05. Oklahoman.com. en-US.
  5. http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/Primary_Election_2006.html Primary Election, July 25, 2006
  6. http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/Runoff_Primary_Election_2006.html Runoff Primary Election, August 22, 2006
  7. http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/General_Election_2006.html General Election 2006
  8. News: McNutt . Michael . 'A detriment for me to step aside': Todd Hiett resists calls to resign . August 1, 2024 . NonDoc . August 1, 2024.
  9. News: Hiett elected OCC chairman . 2 August 2024 . . 14 March 2019.
  10. News: Clay . Nolan . Todd Hiett steps down as chair of Corporation Commission as new accusation emerges . August 7, 2024 . . August 7, 2024.
  11. News: Clay . Nolan . Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett apologizes for drunken behavior . August 1, 2024 . . July 16, 2024.
  12. News: Clay . Nolan . Witnesses allege Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett groped man . August 1, 2024 . . July 29, 2024.
  13. News: Clay . Nolan . Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett refuses to resign . August 1, 2024 . . July 30, 2024.
  14. News: Clay . Nolan . Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett to face independent investigation . 1 August 2024 . . July 31, 2024.

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