Governor Fallin today announced a series of changes to her Cabinet and senior staff designed to ensure continued legislative success for the next two years while sustaining important initiatives enacted during her time in office.
“My team and I have accomplished a lot in the past six years, and we have every intention of being as productive as possible in our remaining two years,” said Fallin. “Each of these members of our team will continue to do amazing work for Oklahoma just as they have throughout their impressive careers. I thank each of them for all they have done to date and am thrilled they are all stepping up to fill these important roles serving our great state.”
The changes are:
Secretary of State and Native American Affairs Chris Benge, a former House speaker, will become the governor’s chief of staff. He will retain his duties as secretary of Native American Affairs.
First Assistant Attorney General Mike Hunter, a former legislator who served as secretary of state for former Governor Frank Keating, will become secretary of state and special counsel to the governor.
- Chief of Staff Denise Northrup will become chief operations officer at the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, an agency formed in Fallin’s first term by consolidating several shared government services to generate efficiencies.
Deputy General Counsel Jennifer Chance, a former Oklahoma County assistant district attorney, will become general counsel.
All changes will be effective by Nov. 1.
“With these changes plus so many new legislators next year and new legislative leadership, Oklahomans can expect a fresh, redoubled effort from my administration and other leaders to serve them successfully. I believe our best days are ahead of us and that we will continue pushing an aggressive, pro-growth agenda,” Fallin said.
This state is headed for the ash heap of history and now the governor is rearranging the deck chairs on the Okie Titani?. Big whoop! Benge was so incompetent as Secretary of State, and so malevolent towards anyone/anything not Republican approved, that he could not even provide correct information to people circulating initiative petitions. In fact, he denied that his office had any duty to provide any information at all about the initiative process. Here’s a little ditty I composed about him . . .
Chris Benge is our Secretary of State.
Of the Constitution he knows nothing of late.
When the people petition,
He declares it his mission,
Where the sun doesn’t shine, he will procreate.