Oklahoma State Superintendent Lindel Fields says he may publicly talk about the candidates in the race to replace him, as the Republican primary runoff approaches on August 25.
Fields said he is waiting to watch an upcoming debate between the two Republican candidates before weighing in.
"We may have more to say about that in the upcoming days," Fields said.
When asked whether that meant an endorsement, Fields said, "We might provide some support."
Voters will choose between Robert Franklin and James Taylor in the Republican primary runoff. The winner will face Democrat Jennettie Marshall in the general election.
Fields said he has known Franklin for many years, recently met Marshall, and has not met Taylor.
Fields is not seeking re-election. He took over the Oklahoma State Department of Education after replacing Ryan Walters.
Speaking to the Tulsa Rotary Club, Fields also reflected on his tenure, saying one compliment he has received in the role has been the word "boring."
"The state department doesn't have to be headline news, right?"
"If boring is what I'm called, I'm ok with that," Fields said.
Gov. Kevin Stitt recently appointed Fields as Oklahoma's Secretary of Education, a role he will hold for the remainder of the governor's term. State statutes designate the secretary of education as the overseer of the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the state superintendent — a potential conflict of interest, given Fields holds both positions simultaneously.
Fields pushed back on that concern.
"This has been done in the past; the state superintendent is elected, the secretary of education is appointed, they really go hand in hand, and over the next five months I can't imagine there would be anything controversial that we could be concerned about," Fields said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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