Oklahoma superintendent of instruction election results 2026: Franklin wins, AP says

Republican Robert Franklin will be Oklahoma's next Superintendent of Public Instruction after defeating Democrat Jennettie Marshall on Nov. 3.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:31 p.m., KJRH reported. With 59% of votes counted as of 8:40 p.m., Franklin held 68.2% of the vote to Marshall's 31.8%, according to unofficial results reported by the OU Daily.

Unofficial results (59% reporting, 8:40 p.m. Nov. 3)

Source: Associated Press via OU Daily. Results are unofficial and incomplete.

The outcome matters for Norman and Noble families. Franklin will take office in January and oversee the rollout of Oklahoma's new reading law, signed in April 2026. That law reinstates a third-grade reading retention requirement starting in the 2027-28 school year, according to KGOU. Students who score below basic on the state English language arts test would risk being held back unless they pass an alternative assessment.

Norman Public Schools posted proficiency rates above statewide averages on most state assessments in 2026, though districtwide results were mixed compared with the prior year, the Norman Transcript reported. Noble Public Schools already screens every student in kindergarten through fifth grade three times a year using the Amira Statewide Screening Assessment, according to the district's website.

Who is Robert Franklin?

Franklin, 67, has spent more than four decades in Oklahoma education, according to Fox 23. His career includes work as a special education teacher, high school principal in Sand Springs and associate superintendent at Tulsa Tech, OKC Fox reported. He is an inductee in the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame, OKC Fox reported.

He teaches future school leaders at OU-Tulsa, according to KFOR.

Franklin identified rebuilding the teacher workforce as his top priority during the GOP primary season, NonDoc reported. He also called for a back-to-basics approach focused on reading and math, expanding career tech and adding behavioral support staff in schools, according to KOCO.

"I've never asked a child, never asked a parent, never asked a business leader, what political party do you affiliate, before we begin to work on the problem at hand," Franklin said, according to KOCO.

Who is Jennettie Marshall?

Marshall, 68, is a former Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education member and pastor, according to News 9. She was elected to represent Tulsa Public Schools District 3 in 2017 and helped establish the North Tulsa Community Education Task Force in 2018, Fox 23 reported.

Marshall outlined a six-pillar platform she called "The Marshall Plan," built around data-driven decision-making, quality learning standards and collaborative relationships, News 9 reported.

Both candidates said they wanted to keep politics out of the classroom, KOCO reported.

What's ahead

Franklin replaces interim Superintendent Lindel Fields, whom Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed after Ryan Walters resigned in 2025, News 9 reported. Fields' tenure ends in January, according to The Frontier.

One early task: the State Board of Education, which the superintendent chairs, is expected to choose a statewide reading screener by the end of 2026, KGOU reported. Franklin and whomever the next governor appoints to the state education board will likely choose the alternative standardized assessment for struggling readers, according to KGOU.

Unofficial returns are available on the State Election Board's 2026 results page.