The longtime educator carried 60 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties and advances to face Democrat Jennettie Marshall in November.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Robert Franklin won the Republican nomination for state superintendent Tuesday, defeating James Taylor by 33,416 votes after building advantages in the state’s largest counties.
Franklin received 196,965 votes, or 54.6%, to Taylor’s 163,549 votes, or 45.4%, according to unofficial State Election Board returns.
The runoff settled a contest between candidates who followed different paths through public education. Franklin spent decades as a teacher and school administrator, while Taylor campaigned as a classroom teacher and pastor who supported reinstating Walters-era social studies standards.
Franklin builds statewide advantage
Franklin carried 60 counties to Taylor’s 17 and led in every method of voting. He entered Election Day with a 6,021-vote advantage from absentee and early ballots, then added to it by winning votes cast Tuesday by 27,395.
Franklin won Oklahoma County by 12.8 percentage points, Tulsa County by 8.7 points and Cleveland County by 12.2 points. He carried Canadian County by 9.7 points, while Payne County gave him one of his strongest showings with a 23.4-point victory.
Taylor found most of his support in eastern and southeastern Oklahoma. He carried Sequoyah County by 14.9 percentage points, McIntosh County by 13.8, Adair County by 12.7 and Choctaw County by 12.3. He won Washington County by 7.5 points.
Franklin also finished first in the June primary, leading the seven-candidate Republican field with 22.6% of the vote. Taylor finished second with 19.7%, earning the other place in the runoff.
Different paths through public education
Franklin, of Sand Springs, spent much of his 44-year education career as a special education teacher, principal, curriculum director and assistant superintendent in Sand Springs Public Schools. He later spent 15 years as an administrator at Tulsa Technology Center.
He also served six years on the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, including four as chair, and was inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame in 2024. His campaign focused on the teacher shortage, reducing class sizes and providing schools with more behavioral health and counseling support.
Taylor teaches U.S. history and government at Little Axe High School and is the founding pastor of First Christ’s Church of Norman.
He campaigned on recruiting and retaining teachers, improving student performance in reading and mathematics, increasing parental involvement and scrutinizing education spending. Taylor also supported reinstating the social studies standards developed during Walters’ tenure, including their references to the Bible’s influence on the nation’s founding.
November matchup
Franklin advances to the Nov. 3 general election against Democratic nominee Jennettie Marshall, a former Tulsa school board member. Marshall defeated retired El Reno Superintendent Craig McVay in the June Democratic primary.
The general-election winner will succeed Lindel Fields, who was appointed to complete Walters’ term and did not seek election to the office. Republicans have won every general election for state superintendent since 2010.
The runoff results remain unofficial. Statewide results are scheduled for certification Sept. 1.
