Oklahoma Superintendent Race Heads to Voters

Oklahoma parents will help decide who leads statewide school policy when they vote on November 3, 2026.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Administration

Oklahoma Superintendent Race Heads to Voters

Live Poll

Should Oklahoma's state superintendent be elected by voters rather than appointed?

Oklahoma voters will choose the next State Superintendent of Public Instruction on November 3, 2026, when Republican Dr. Robert Franklin faces Democrat Dr. Jennettie Marshall. The winner will replace interim State Superintendent Lindel Fields.

Why it matters

The race determines who leads the state education agency that sets statewide school policy for families across Oklahoma, after the office was left in interim hands following Ryan Walters' 2025 resignation. A joint resolution that would have made the post appointed rather than elected did not advance in early 2026, so the seat stays on the ballot.

Oklahoma voters will pick between Franklin, who has more than 40 years of state education experience, and Marshall, a former Tulsa Public Schools board member and pastor. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on November 3, 2026, and voters still in line at 7 p.m. can vote.

The players

Dr. Robert Franklin

Republican candidate with more than 40 years of Oklahoma education experience.

Dr. Jennettie Marshall

Democratic candidate and former Tulsa Public Schools board member and pastor, known for her six-pillar "The Marshall Plan."

Lindel Fields

Interim State Superintendent of Public Instruction appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt.

Kevin Stitt

Oklahoma governor who appointed Lindel Fields and has discussed making the superintendent post appointed.

Ryan Walters

Former Oklahoma State Superintendent who resigned in 2025.

The details

Franklin is the Republican nominee and Marshall is the Democratic nominee, and the winner will lead the state education agency in place of interim superintendent Lindel Fields. Governor Kevin Stitt appointed Fields to the interim role after Ryan Walters resigned in 2025. Marshall is campaigning on a six-pillar plan she calls "The Marshall Plan," while Franklin's record rests on his decades working inside Oklahoma schools.

2025: Ryan Walters resigns as state superintendent.
2020: Gov. Stitt begins discussing making the position appointed.
Early 2026: A joint resolution to eliminate elections for the post does not advance.
November 3, 2026: Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the superintendent race is decided.

The Home Front

The fight over whether Oklahoma's top education official should be elected or appointed has run since Governor Stitt began discussing the change in 2020. Families weighing school quality in their neighborhoods will see the outcome of that debate settled at the ballot box this November.

If you have school-age children in Oklahoma, check your polling place and voter registration before November 3, 2026. Note that the superintendent will set statewide education policy, so review each candidate's platform on school funding and curriculum before you vote.

The takeaway

Oklahoma's superintendent seat remains on the ballot after the appointment proposal stalled, so the choice rests with voters this November. Confirm your polling location and voting hours for November 3, 2026 well before Election Day.