Governor Kevin Stitt announced on Tuesday his “Governor’s Washington D.C.” office is now up and running with former congressional staffer Christina Gungoll Lepore as its director. Stitt has signaled he was planning to have a presence in D.C. to help influence federal dollars coming to Oklahoma.
“I am excited to have Christina in Washington to help us advance and defend key priorities for the State of Oklahoma,” said Stitt. “It is critical for our success to have as many boots on the ground as possible to ensure Oklahoma is receiving its fair share, as federal dollars make up 40% of our state budget. Many other states, such as Texas, have long-standing state executive offices in our nation’s capital and it’s vital we are on a level playing field as we continue our ascent to becoming a Top Ten state.”
Lepore is from Enid and worked as a staff member for Congressman Frank Lucas. She’s also held positions with Senate Republican Conference Vice-Chairman Joni Ernst and former House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Tom Bliley.
“It is truly an honor to once again serve my home state of Oklahoma,” said Lepore. “I look forward to working with our outstanding Congressional delegation and all our federal partners to further enhance our strong state-federal partnership and move Oklahoma forward.”
