Superintendent of Public Instruction Oklahoma in Statewide, Oklahoma

2026 Primary Election

• Robert Franklin — Assistant Professor of History, Washington State University Tri-Cities in Kennewick, Washington

  Robert Franklin is an assistant professor of history at Washington State University Tri-Cities and serves as the assistant director, archivist, and historian for the Hanford History Project. He was raised in Alaska and moved to the Tri-Cities a decade ago. His mother was a teacher. Franklin has two children, one of whom is a student in the Kennewick School District. He earned a graduate degree from Washington State University in 2014.

• James Taylor — History & Government Teacher and Senior Pastor in Port Angeles, Washington

  James Taylor is a candidate for Port Angeles City Council, Position 1. Information regarding his educational and professional background is not readily available in public sources.

• Toni Hasenbeck — Incumbent State Representative in Elgin, OK

  Toni Hasenbeck, 54, an incumbent Republican State Representative for Oklahoma's 65th district, is running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in the 2026 primary. A former teacher with nearly two decades of experience, she advocates for "back-to-basics fundamentals" and restoring "Oklahoma values: Faith, Family, Freedom, and Fundamentals" in education, rejecting "woke indoctrination." Her legislative record includes banning transgender surgery for children and prohibiting transgender athletes in women's sports. She prioritizes teacher support, school safety, and parents' rights, aiming to foster respect for educators and effective student discipline.

• John Cox — Superintendent of Peggs Public Schools in Hulbert, OK

  John Cox is a Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2026. With over 40 years in Oklahoma education, including more than 30 years as a school superintendent, he focuses on safe schools, academic achievement, and restoring trust. His platform emphasizes protecting students from harmful influences, improving reading and math outcomes, increasing teacher salaries, and reforming state testing to a benchmark model where assessments are administered periodically. He aims to make education great again for Oklahoma’s students and teachers, emphasizing transparency for parents and respect for educators.

• Adam Pugh — Incumbent Member of the Oklahoma State Senate in Edmond, OK

  Adam Pugh, a Republican, has served in the Oklahoma State Senate for District 41 since 2016, where he chairs the Senate Education Committee. Born in 1977, he is campaigning for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction in the June 16, 2026 Republican primary. His platform centers on improving education outcomes, prioritizing students, supporting teachers, and empowering families. Pugh has advanced legislation on school safety, literacy, and special education, also proposing a bill to incentivize school cellphone bans. His eligibility to run, questioned over his Senate term's overlap with a vote on the superintendent's salary increase, was upheld by the Oklahoma State Election Board and Supreme Court.

• Debra A. Herlihy — Senior Research Analyst and Entrepreneur in OK

  Debra Herlihy, a Republican, is running for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2026. With 25 years of experience in education-focused programming and project management, she aims to bring exceptional value to Oklahoma's K-12 public schools. Her current professional background includes work as a Senior Research Analyst, an adjunct professor teaching Artificial Intelligence, and an entrepreneur with a web design business. As a "Student's Voice for Oklahoma," she advocates for enhancing early literacy, improving student attendance through mental health support and barrier removal, and actively retaining teachers by increasing funding, professional development, and the percentage of school budgets spent directly in the classroom, including the expansion of STREAM programs and AI in education.

• William E Crozier — Candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction in Union City, OK

  William E. Crozier is a 79-year-old Republican candidate from Union City, Oklahoma, seeking the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. This marks his third attempt for the position, having previously run unsuccessfully in 2006 and again in 2022, where he failed to advance past the Republican primary. Crozier is known for his controversial policy suggestions, including the idea of getting rid of school buses and using textbooks as shields during school shootings. He is one of several Republican candidates vying for the party's nomination in the June 16, 2026 primary election.

• Craig Mcvay — Retired Superintendent in El Reno, OK

  Craig McVay is a seasoned educator and administrator with a 35-year career across Oklahoma. He taught, counseled, directed programs, and retired in 2022 as Superintendent of El Reno Schools. Growing up in Yukon, McVay believes in providing steady, proven leadership for Oklahoma's public schools, emphasizing a return to fundamentals like ABCs and 123s. He advocates for increased instructional time, raising per-pupil spending, and robust teacher support to improve Oklahoma’s national education ranking. McVay is running to rescue public education, undoing the "disgraceful legacy" of Ryan Walters and focusing on early literacy, math fluency, and removing partisan politics from schools. Outside his educational career, he is a family man, raises mules, and serves various community non-profits.

• Jennettie Marshall — Pastor in Tulsa, OK

  Dr. Jennettie Marshall is a lifelong public servant and advocate for community, family, and children, driven by a mission to improve public school governance. Her advocacy began at 16, leading a successful protest against a racial slur. Marshall served on the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education from 2017 until April 2025. Running for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, she champions robust parental involvement, academically rigorous and politically neutral curriculum, and reduced special education teacher caseloads. She also advocates for guaranteed IEP services, focusing schools on core academic subjects, transparency in spending, and efficient state education department operations. Marshall is a pastor and a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.