Rhonda Eastman, a Democrat with experience in the utilities, construction and trucking industries, is running for Oklahoma Corporation Commission in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

She faces Republican Brad Boles for the seat. Eastman has centered her campaign on tighter environmental regulation and protecting ratepayers from costs tied to industrial expansion, according to her campaign website.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Age: 53 as of the 2026 primary election
  • Hometown: Born in Tulsa; grew up in LeFlore County in rural eastern Oklahoma
  • Education: Spiro High School graduate

Experience and public service

Eastman has work experience in the utilities, construction and trucking industries, according to NonDoc. Specific employers and job titles were not listed.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Eastman's campaign website responses. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Injection wells

Eastman said injection wells "were only ever supposed to be a temporary solution for oil production wastewater." She said numerous wells are leaking across the state, contaminating land and the water table with hydrocarbons, radioactive material, barium and other toxic materials.

Data centers

Eastman said she has concerns about utility upgrade costs being passed on to customers as data centers expand in Oklahoma. She said data centers come to the state for cheap land, abundant water and lax regulation. She opposes bringing nuclear power to Oklahoma to supply data centers, citing extreme weather concerns.

Industrial smelter near Inola

Eastman said she is "wholeheartedly against" a proposed smelter near Inola and has supported residents there in opposing it. She said rural communities are often ignored in policy decisions and that jobs must fit into the existing community rather than come at its expense.

Orphan oil and gas wells

Eastman said Oklahoma has over 20,000 documented abandoned oil and gas wells and thousands of idle ones, with the list growing each year. She said these wells will fall to the state and taxpayers to close.

Regulation of industry

Eastman said regulation exists to protect the environment, resources and people from exploitation. She said companies that intend to do the right thing will never complain about regulation.

Candidate responses were collected from Eastman's campaign website. Brad Boles, the Republican candidate in this race, will be profiled separately.