Blake Stephens
Blake Stephens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Oklahoma Senate from the 3rd district | |
| Assumed office January 11, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Wayne Shaw |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kathy Stephens |
| Residence(s) | Tahlequah, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Sapulpa High School Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Northeastern State University |
| Profession | Retired Counselor of Locust Grove Public Schools, Owner & Operator of Stephens Family Ranch |
Blake Stephens is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves in the Oklahoma Senate as the elected member from the 3rd district.[a][1] He was first elected in the 2020 Oklahoma Senate election after defeating incumbent Wayne Shaw in the Republican primary on June 30, 2020 and going on to win the general election on November 3, 2020.[2] His current term expires in 2025.
Early life and career[edit]
Stephens graduated from Sapulpa High School and was the Sapulpa Future Farmers of America president .[3] He earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural education from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.[1][3] He worked on an assembly line, as a residential therapist, and as a manager.[3] He later received a graduate degree in counseling from Northeastern State University. He then worked at Locust Grove Public Schools as a counselor for over two decades.[3] He also owns a family ranch in Moodys, Oklahoma.[1]
Stephens ran for governor in the 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election.[4] In December 2020, Stephens signed onto a letter requesting the Oklahoma Congressional delegation to not certify the 2020 election results.[5]
Oklahoma State Senate (2021–present)[edit]
Stephens defeated incumbent Wayne Shaw in the Republican primary on June 30, 2020.[6] He then went on to win the 2020 Oklahoma Senate election for District 3.[7] He served in the 58th Oklahoma Legislature.
58th Legislature[edit]
Sen. Stephens co-authored SB 834, the 'Back the Blue' Bill, to allow cities to paint blue lines and other "signage for the purpose of expressing support for law enforcement". The bill passed the Oklahoma Senate 39–6.[8] He also authored SB 644 which would allow cities to authorize their employees to carry concealed firearms on the job if properly licensed.[9] Stephens wrote HB 1564 which was introduced in the Oklahoma House of Representatives by Tom Gann. The bill substantially expands the power of landlords to carry out evictions.[10]
Electoral history[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mick Cornett | 132,806 | 29.3 | |
| Republican | Kevin Stitt | 110,479 | 24.4 | |
| Republican | Todd Lamb | 107,985 | 23.9 | |
| Republican | Dan Fisher | 35,818 | 7.9 | |
| Republican | Gary Jones | 25,243 | 5.6 | |
| Republican | Gary Richardson | 18,185 | 4.0 | |
| Republican | Blake Stephens | 12,211 | 2.7 | |
| Republican | Christopher Barnett | 5,240 | 1.2 | |
| Republican | Barry Gowdy | 2,347 | 0.5 | |
| Republican | Eric Foutch | 2,292 | 0.5 | |
| Total votes | 452,606 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Blake Stephens | 4,028 | 60.41 | |
| Republican | Wayne Shaw (Incumbent) | 2,891 | 39.59 | |
| Total votes | 7,303 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Blake Cowboy Stephens | 22,988 | 79.5% | ||
| Democratic | Dyllon Fite | 5,929 | 20.5% | ||
| Total votes | 28,917 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Notes[edit]
- ^ District 3 includes parts of Adair County, Cherokee County, Delaware County, Mayes County and Rogers County.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Senator Blake Stephens". oksenate.gov. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "OK Election Results June 30 2020". results.okelections.us. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d Dunn, Kayla (22 October 2020). "SD 3: Dyllon Fite hopes to beat Blake 'Cowboy' Stephens, but first he needs to register his campaign". NonDoc. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ a b "OK Election Results June 26, 2018". oksenate.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ Trotter, Matt (23 December 2020). "Oklahoma House, Senate Republicans Urge Congressional Delegation to Challenge Election Result". Public Radio Tulsa. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ Cuccia, Annemarie (30 June 2020). "Three GOP senators head to runoff, Wayne Shaw loses". NonDoc. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ Dunn, Kayla (4 November 2020). "Oklahoma Senate elections: Dems gain one, lose one". NonDoc. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ Gray, Sarah (12 February 2021). "Oklahoma Senate Republicans scream "Back the Blue", passing new bill". The Black Wall Street Times. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ Couch, Julie (10 March 2021). "OFF THE COUCH: Will the Oklahoma Legislature ever leave The Twilight Zone?". Stillwater News Press. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ Stone, Erika (17 February 2021). "Oklahoma eviction bill removes protections for renters". The Black Wall Street Times. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "OK Election Results June 30 2020". results.okelections.us. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "OK Election Results November 03 2020". results.okelections.us. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 18 April 2021.