Scott Pruitt
Encyclopedia
Scott Pruitt is a United States
lawyer
and Republican
politician
from the U.S. state
of Oklahoma
. He is the current Oklahoma Attorney General.
Pruitt was a State Senator
, representing Tulsa
and Wagoner
counties from 1998 until 2006. When former NFL Hall of Famer and Congressman Steve Largent
retired from the United States House of Representatives representing Oklahoma's First Congressional District
, Pruitt ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to succeed Largent against the First Lady of Oklahoma, Cathy Keating and the eventual nominee and winner, John A. Sullivan. In the 2002 election cycle, Pruitt was re-elected without opposition by his home district. Rather than seek re-election in 2006, Pruitt launched a failed campaign to receive the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
.
in 1968. He attended Georgetown College and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts
degrees in Political Science
and Communication
s. He then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma
when he attended the University of Tulsa
to earn a Juris Doctor
in 1993. He passed the bar examination
that same year.
He entered into private practice in Tulsa where he specialized in Constitutional Law, Contracts, Insurance Law, Labor Law, and Litigation & Appeals. After five years as an attorney
, Pruitt ran for, and was elect to, the Oklahoma Senate
in 1998, representing Tulsa
and Wagoner
counties. After only two years in the Senate, Pruitt was selected to serve as the Republican Whip from 2001 to 2003. He was then selected to serve as the Republican Assistant Floor Leader, a position he held until he left the Senate in 2006.
In 2004, Pruitt became the General Managing Partner of the Oklahoma RedHawks
, Oklahoma City's Triple-A baseball club. Under his first season of leadership, the RedHawks saw a 25% increase in attendance. After two years, the team broke the all-time attendance record for minor league baseball in Oklahoma and saw a 45% increase in revenue.
as the Member of Congress for the First Congressional District of Oklahoma in 2001. Largent, who had resigned to spend his focus running for Governor of Oklahoma, would be replaced by special election rather than by gubernatorial appointment. Two other main candidates emerged for the job, including sitting State Representative John A. Sullivan, the eventual winner, and Cathy Keating, the wife of then Governor Frank Keating
. Pruitt came in a distant third behind a surprisingly successful first place finisher in Sullivan and Keating in second place. The Keating loss prompted then Governor Frank Keating to say the voters in his hometown of Tulsa were "dumb," a remark he later recanted as being emotionally supportive of his wife. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20011218/ai_n10148878/
as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
in the 2006 Lt. Gubernatorial election. In the primary election
, Pruitt faced Nacy Riley and Speaker of the House
Todd Hiett
. Following the primaries on July 25, 2006, Pruitt received 34% of the vote, Riley receive 23%, and Hiett received 43%. Pruitt, according to Oklahoma state law, had to face Hiett in a runoff election in order to receive the party's nomination. Following the run-off election on August 22, 2006, Pruitt received 63,812 votes and 49.08% as opposed to Hiett's 66,217 votes and 50.92%. Pruitt failed to receive the nomination, with Hiett to face Democratic House Minority Leader
Jari Askins
in the November general election.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. He is the current Oklahoma Attorney General.
Pruitt was a State Senator
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
, representing Tulsa
Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Tulsa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is 603,403. Its county seat is Tulsa.-History of Tulsa County:The history of Tulsa County greatly overlaps the history of the city of Tulsa...
and Wagoner
Wagoner County, Oklahoma
Wagoner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 73,085. Its county seat is Wagoner.-Early History:The area of Wagoner County was settled by the Creek after their forced removal in Alabama in the 1820's...
counties from 1998 until 2006. When former NFL Hall of Famer and Congressman Steve Largent
Steve Largent
Steven Michael "Steve" Largent is a retired American football player, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a former U.S. Congressman, having served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Oklahoma from 1994 until 2002...
retired from the United States House of Representatives representing Oklahoma's First Congressional District
Oklahoma's 1st congressional district
Oklahoma's First Congressional District is in the northeastern corner of the state and borders Kansas. It is largely coextensive with the Tulsa metropolitan area. It includes all of Tulsa County Washington County, Wagoner County, and parts of Rogers County and Creek County...
, Pruitt ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to succeed Largent against the First Lady of Oklahoma, Cathy Keating and the eventual nominee and winner, John A. Sullivan. In the 2002 election cycle, Pruitt was re-elected without opposition by his home district. Rather than seek re-election in 2006, Pruitt launched a failed campaign to receive the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the new Governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor...
.
Biography
Pruitt was born in Danville, KentuckyDanville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
in 1968. He attended Georgetown College and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and Communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
s. He then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
when he attended the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
to earn a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1993. He passed the bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
that same year.
He entered into private practice in Tulsa where he specialized in Constitutional Law, Contracts, Insurance Law, Labor Law, and Litigation & Appeals. After five years as an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, Pruitt ran for, and was elect to, the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
in 1998, representing Tulsa
Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Tulsa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is 603,403. Its county seat is Tulsa.-History of Tulsa County:The history of Tulsa County greatly overlaps the history of the city of Tulsa...
and Wagoner
Wagoner County, Oklahoma
Wagoner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 73,085. Its county seat is Wagoner.-Early History:The area of Wagoner County was settled by the Creek after their forced removal in Alabama in the 1820's...
counties. After only two years in the Senate, Pruitt was selected to serve as the Republican Whip from 2001 to 2003. He was then selected to serve as the Republican Assistant Floor Leader, a position he held until he left the Senate in 2006.
In 2004, Pruitt became the General Managing Partner of the Oklahoma RedHawks
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
, Oklahoma City's Triple-A baseball club. Under his first season of leadership, the RedHawks saw a 25% increase in attendance. After two years, the team broke the all-time attendance record for minor league baseball in Oklahoma and saw a 45% increase in revenue.
2001 Congressional campaign
Pruitt, while still a freshman legislator, sought his party's nomination to succeed Steve LargentSteve Largent
Steven Michael "Steve" Largent is a retired American football player, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a former U.S. Congressman, having served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Oklahoma from 1994 until 2002...
as the Member of Congress for the First Congressional District of Oklahoma in 2001. Largent, who had resigned to spend his focus running for Governor of Oklahoma, would be replaced by special election rather than by gubernatorial appointment. Two other main candidates emerged for the job, including sitting State Representative John A. Sullivan, the eventual winner, and Cathy Keating, the wife of then Governor Frank Keating
Frank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
. Pruitt came in a distant third behind a surprisingly successful first place finisher in Sullivan and Keating in second place. The Keating loss prompted then Governor Frank Keating to say the voters in his hometown of Tulsa were "dumb," a remark he later recanted as being emotionally supportive of his wife. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20011218/ai_n10148878/
2006 Lieutenant Governor campaign
Pruitt sought the Republican nomination to replace outgoing Republican Mary FallinMary Fallin
Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011....
as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the new Governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor...
in the 2006 Lt. Gubernatorial election. In the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, Pruitt faced Nacy Riley and Speaker of the House
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The Speaker exercises administrative and procedural functions in the House, but most importantly remains a representative of his...
Todd Hiett
Todd Hiett
Todd Hiett is an American rancher and Republican politician from Kellyville. He served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1995 until 2007. During his final two years in office, Hiett served as the Speaker of the House...
. Following the primaries on July 25, 2006, Pruitt received 34% of the vote, Riley receive 23%, and Hiett received 43%. Pruitt, according to Oklahoma state law, had to face Hiett in a runoff election in order to receive the party's nomination. Following the run-off election on August 22, 2006, Pruitt received 63,812 votes and 49.08% as opposed to Hiett's 66,217 votes and 50.92%. Pruitt failed to receive the nomination, with Hiett to face Democratic House Minority Leader
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...
Jari Askins
Jari Askins
Jari Askins is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, being the second female and the first Democratic female to hold that position....
in the November general election.
Election results
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TODD HIETT | Republican Party | 66,220 | 50.92% | ||
| SCOTT PRUITT | Republican Party | 63,817 | 49.08% | ||
| Source: http://www.elections.state.ok.us/06run.html | |||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TODD HIETT | Republican Party | 76,634 | 42.82% | ||
| SCOTT PRUITT | Republican Party | 60,367 | 33.73% | ||
| NANCY RILEY | Republican Party | 41,984 | 23.46% | ||
| Source: http://www.elections.state.ok.us/06pri.html | |||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN SULLIVAN | Republican Party | 19,018 | 45.53% | ||
| CATHY KEATING | Republican Party | 12,736 | 30.49% | ||
| SCOTT PRUITT | Republican Party | 9,513 | 22.77% | ||
| GEORGE E. BANASKY | Republican Party | 296 | 0.71% | ||
| EVELYN L. ROGERS | Republican Party | 210 | 0.50% | ||
| Source: http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G02/OK.phtml | |||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCOTT PRUITT | Republican Party | 2,326 | 56.33% | ||
| GERALD WRIGHT | Republican Party | 1,803 | 43.67% | ||
| Source: http://www.elections.state.ok.us/98reprun.html | |||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCOTT PRUITT | Republican Party | 1,959 | 48.94% | ||
| GERALD WRIGHT | Republican Party | 1,820 | 45.47% | ||
| DOUGLAS E. MEEHAN | Republican Party | 224 | 0.06% | ||
| Source: http://www.elections.state.ok.us/98reppri.html | |||||