Voters will choose a new Corporation Commissioner in Oklahoma, someone to replace longtime commissioner Bob Anthony who is term-limited after serving since January of 1989.
Whoever wins Tuesday’s general election will not be able to accomplish Anthony’s historical length of time as a statewide elected officer. Term limits took effect in Anthony’s time in office but he remains the longest serving utility commissioner in the U.S. having been elected six times, his last in 2018.
As the history books point out, Anthony, formerly president of the C.R. Anthony chain of stores, became the first Republicanin sixty years to be elected to the Corporation Commission and also received more votes than any Republican since statehood. It was in 1994 when he also became the first Republican incumbent in state history to win statewide re-election to a state office. Further, in 2000, Anthony won re-election and received more votes at the time than any candidate for state office in Oklahoma history.
Political observers predict Tuesday’s winner will likely be former Oklahoma Senate President pro tempore Brian Bingman, who won the Republican primary last June. If Bingman wins, it will result in a corporation commission made up of former legislative leaders. Todd Hiett is a former Speaker of the House and Kim David, the current chair, was majority leader in the State senate.
Bingman’s opponents include Chad Williams of Choctaw, the candidate for the Libertarian party. He is a former chairman of the Oklahoma Libertarian Party and also served on the Choctaw City Council.
The Democratic candidate is 90-year old Harold Spradlling of Oklahoma City.
The campaign was quiet after the June primary. But OK Energy Today had several reports about the candidates. We had an early story about Spradling and why he chose to run again.
Spradling explained why he chosen to making another run for the office, this time as a Democrat rather than a Republican. This is his fourth attempt to win a Corporation Commission seat.
“My family always thought it was a lark, but I’m serious about politics.”
The 43-year old Williams is president of Automated Home Solutions, a firm offering home inspections and residential technology services. It is his first attempt in a statewide election.
In a recent interview with NonDoc, he said it was a “double-edged sword” to take campaign contributions from companies regulated by the Corporation Commission.
“I’m of the opinion that I understand why they do that, and I’m not wholly against it,” he said. “The companies and the individuals involved in those companies should have the freedom to donate money to whoever they want. You know, that’s where I differ from Mr. Spradling. I understand he’s wholly against, wholly against the donations itself. Like I said, I’m not, I’m not wholly against it. I just point out the fact that, you know, nearly all of them that have their little PACs or, you know, all their corporate hierarchy, have given money to Brian Bingman, and it’s just kind of telling us who the industry thinks should be regulating them.”
Yes, fund raising reports clearly show Bingman outraised the other candidates by a considerable margin. The Journal Record reported Bingman had raised $450,000 as of August.
A lot of his campaign contributions came from Oklahoma Gas and Electric executives, as OK Energy Today reported in June.
Bingman not only had a clear advantage in fundraising, but political support. He was named Secretary of State in 2020 by Gov. Kevin Stitt who immediately endorsed Bingman when he announced his candidacy in September of 2023. Bingman also received an immediate endorsement from Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell.
Bingman received more than 53% of the more than 236,000 votes cast in the June statewide primary, beating union representative Justin Hornback and former energy journalist Russell Ray.
