BENGE ELECTED SPEAKER
Republican House members this morning elected Tulsan Chris Benge as speaker-elect by a narrow margin, GOP sources say.
His election went to a second ballot in which he faced Dale DeWitt, the sources report, with Susan Winchester apparently running third. Prior to the Caucus meeting, it had been speculated that Winchester and Benge were close in votes. An insider said Benge, chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, won by a narrow margin on the second ballot. Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell remains in that position even though he withdrew as a candidate for speaker when it was revealed he'd been late in paying property taxes in Texas County. An insider said there was some concern about Blackwell continuing as the No. 2 GOP leader, but most members believe his late property tax problem did not "rise to the same level" as concern about resigned Speaker Lance Cargill's failure to file personal income tax returns as well as his failure to pay business taxes in timely fashion. The insider said Blackwell's name never came up during today's Caucus meeting. Democrat Leader Danny Morgan and other House Democratic Leaders will hold a media availability today, 20 minutes after the conclusion of Regular House Session, Morgan's spokesman said. Morgan and other leaders of the House Democratic Caucus will discuss the election of a new speaker of the House. Benge is a native Tulsan. He was born and raised in southwest Tulsa and currently resides in the community of Berryhill with his wife Allison and their two children. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Business and is an active member of the Southwest Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Sand Springs Rotary Club and a member of the Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries. He's also a member of the Grand River Dam Authority Task Force and the American Legislative Exchange Council.
His election went to a second ballot in which he faced Dale DeWitt, the sources report, with Susan Winchester apparently running third. Prior to the Caucus meeting, it had been speculated that Winchester and Benge were close in votes. An insider said Benge, chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, won by a narrow margin on the second ballot. Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell remains in that position even though he withdrew as a candidate for speaker when it was revealed he'd been late in paying property taxes in Texas County. An insider said there was some concern about Blackwell continuing as the No. 2 GOP leader, but most members believe his late property tax problem did not "rise to the same level" as concern about resigned Speaker Lance Cargill's failure to file personal income tax returns as well as his failure to pay business taxes in timely fashion. The insider said Blackwell's name never came up during today's Caucus meeting. Democrat Leader Danny Morgan and other House Democratic Leaders will hold a media availability today, 20 minutes after the conclusion of Regular House Session, Morgan's spokesman said. Morgan and other leaders of the House Democratic Caucus will discuss the election of a new speaker of the House. Benge is a native Tulsan. He was born and raised in southwest Tulsa and currently resides in the community of Berryhill with his wife Allison and their two children. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Business and is an active member of the Southwest Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Sand Springs Rotary Club and a member of the Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries. He's also a member of the Grand River Dam Authority Task Force and the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Labels: Chris Benge, Dale DeWitt, Susan Winchester
posted by Mike McCarville @ 9:52 AM
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