Gov. Kevin Stitt has ordered a Special Election to fill the vacancy created by the recent resignation of State Sen. Jason Smalley.
Smalley in mid-January announced that he was resigning from his District 28 Senate seat. It became effective on Friday, Jan. 31.
The Special Primary Election is scheduled for June 30. The Special General Election will be held Nov. 3 and if a Special Primary Runoff Election is required it will be held on Aug. 25.
The Special Election is to fill an unexpired term. Smalley was re-elected in the November 2018 general election to a four-year term.
The governor issued the proclamation on Feb. 3.
Filing period for the Special Election is April 8-10.
Any current state legislator who might be looking at re-election but also looking at the vacancy created by Smalley’s resignation will have a decision to make.
A spokesman with the State Election Board cited a state statute that says, “Candidates may file for no more than one office at any election. A Special Election and a Regular Election held on the same date shall be considered one election.”
In January prior to the Governor issuing his proclamation last week calling the Special Election, a spokesperson for the State Election Board said, “A special election will be required to fill Sen. Smalley’s vacancy. By law, it must fall on the dates of a regular primary election, runoff primary election or general election.”
In Smalley’s announcement, he said he will be the Senior Account manager for Motorola Solutions Corp. and he will be in charge of its Oklahoma office.
Smalley served as Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and was a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health, Human Services, Education, General Government, and Rules.