Tuesday, November 6, 2018
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin tonight issued the following statement on Kevin Stitt's election as governor, based on Tuesday’s unofficial results:
“Congratulations to Kevin Stitt on being elected Oklahoma’s 28th governor. I wish him the best of luck when he takes over the helm of our state January 14. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he will have a very smooth transition. My office is well prepared to help make him successful. The governor-elect’s office at the state Capitol is equipped with computers and telephones to begin the orderly transition of power.
“Oklahoma’s overall economy is healthy, and the challenge for our next governor is to protect the budget fiscal changes we've enacted to put our state on a sound foundation to meet any future energy sector downturns that our state economy cycles through. When I took office as governor, our state was in the grips of an economic downturn caused by a national recession. Oklahoma’s unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, and the state had $2.03 in its savings account. Today, our unemployment rate is 3.5 percent and Oklahoma has nearly $500 million in its savings account. We've diversified our economy and added close to 200,000 jobs. This year, we approved a structurally sound budget, which gives the state financial stability, and we gave teachers their largest pay increase in state history.”