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

Todd Hiett
Member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Class 1
Assumed office
January 12, 2015
GovernorMary Fallin
Kevin Stitt
Preceded byPatrice Douglas
Chairman of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
In office
April 1, 2019 – August 7, 2024
GovernorKevin Stitt
Preceded byDana Murphy
Succeeded byKim David
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
In office
January 2005 – January 2007
Preceded byLarry Adair
Succeeded byLance Cargill
Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
In office
2002 – January 2005
Preceded byFred Morgan
Succeeded byJari Askins
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
from the 29th district
In office
January 1995 – January 2007
Preceded byDavid Thompson
Succeeded bySkye McNiel
Personal details
BornKellyville, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationOklahoma State University, Stillwater (BS)

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

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

Political career

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Hiett addresses the Oklahoma House of Representatives

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

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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.[4]

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

2006 Lt. Governor campaign

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He did not run for reelection in 2006, instead running to succeed Mary Fallin as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma.[6] 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%.[7] 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%.[8] Hiett was the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, but he lost to Democratic House Minority Leader Jari Askins in the November general election.[9]

Oklahoma Corporation Commission

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In 2014, Hiett was elected to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.[4] On April 1, 2019 he became the chairman of the commission.[10] In 2020, he was reelected to a second term.[11] 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.[12]

Sexual harassment allegations

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In July 2024 it was reported that Hiett had "acted inappropriately" at the Mid-American Regulatory Conference in Minneapolis the month prior.[6] 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.[11] 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

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Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Republican Primary Election, 1994
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett 1,190 59.41
Republican Kevin Farmer 813 40.59
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 1994
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett 5,131 53.72
Democratic David Thompson (incumbent) 4,420 46.28
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett (incumbent) 6,604 57.52
Democratic David Thompson 4,878 42.48
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett (incumbent) 5,251 58.20
Democratic Edmond Tex Slyman 3,771 41.80
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett (incumbent) n/a 100.00
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett (incumbent) n/a 100.00
Oklahoma House of Representatives 29th District Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett (incumbent) 9,006 63.63
Democratic Jim Thompson 5,148 36.37
Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Republican Primary Election, 2006[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett 76,634 42.82
Republican Scott Pruitt 60,367 33.73
Republican Nancy Riley 41,984 23.46
Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Republican Primary Runoff Election, 2006[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett 66,220 50.92
Republican Scott Pruitt 63,817 49.08
Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Election, 2006[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jari Askins 463,753 50.14
Republican Todd Hiett 439,418 47.51
Independent E. Z. Million 21,684 2.34
2014 Oklahoma Corporation Commission Republican primary[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Hiett 128,173 52.24
Republican Cliff Branan 117,169 47.76
Total votes 245,342 100
2020 Oklahoma Corporation Commission election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Hiett (incumbent) 1,100,024 76.1% −23.9%
Libertarian Todd Hagopian 345,436 23.9% N/A
Total votes 1,445,460 100.0%

References

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  1. ^ "Commissioner Todd Hiett". Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  2. ^ Hinton, Mick. "From cow barn to House, hard work is Hiett's job", Tulsa World, August 13, 2006
  3. ^ Griffin, David. "Hiett chosen to lead Oklahoma House GOP". www.newson6.com. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  4. ^ a b McNutt, Michael (August 1, 2024). "'A detriment for me to step aside': Todd Hiett resists calls to resign". NonDoc. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  5. ^ "Hiett bests challenger in Corporation Commission primary". Oklahoman.com. 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  6. ^ a b Clay, Nolan (July 16, 2024). "Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett apologizes for drunken behavior". The Oklahoman. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Primary Election, July 25, 2006 Archived February 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Oklahoma State Election Board - http://www.ok.gov/elections (accessed May 8, 2013)
  8. ^ a b Runoff Primary Election, August 22, 2006, Oklahoma State Election Board - http://www.ok.gov/elections (accessed May 8, 2013)
  9. ^ a b General Election 2006, Oklahoma State Election Board - http://www.ok.gov/elections (accessed May 8, 2013)
  10. ^ "Hiett elected OCC chairman". The Journal Record. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b Clay, Nolan (July 29, 2024). "Witnesses allege Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett groped man". The Oklahoman. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  12. ^ Clay, Nolan (August 7, 2024). "Todd Hiett steps down as chair of Corporation Commission as new accusation emerges". The Oklahoman. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  13. ^ Clay, Nolan (July 30, 2024). "Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett refuses to resign". The Oklahoman. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  14. ^ Clay, Nolan (July 31, 2024). "Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett to face independent investigation". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Official Results - Primary Election" (PDF). Oklahoma Secretary of State. July 7, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
2006
Succeeded by
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Preceded by
David Thompson
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
from the 29th district

1995–2007
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Larry Adair
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
2005–2007
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Class 1

2015–present
Incumbent