A leading Republican candidate in Oklahoma’s 2026 state superintendent race has withdrawn.
Rob Miller, the former superintendent of Bixby Public Schools, announced Wednesday he is ending his campaign following his wife’s unexpected death on Feb. 1. Rob and Anna Miller had been married 32 years. She died of an apparent heart attack, he said earlier this month.
“I know in my heart that I cannot refocus the energy and attention that a demanding statewide campaign requires while my family and I are still navigating such a profound and sudden loss,” he wrote in a social media post.
Four Republican candidates remain: Peggs Public Schools Superintendent John Cox, state Sen. Adam Pugh, state Rep. Toni Hasenbeck and Ana Davine Landsaw.
Former El Reno Public Schools Superintendent Craig McVay and former Tulsa Board of Education member Jennettie Marshall are running for the Democratic nomination.
Independent candidate Jerry Griffin terminated his campaign on Feb. 16, having raised no funds, Oklahoma Ethics Commission records show.
Miller’s announcement comes exactly a year since he entered the superintendent race on Feb. 25, 2025. He was the first candidate of any party to launch a campaign for the office.
Since then, he raised more money than any other contender in the election. Ethics Commission records reports show his campaign has $208,914 on hand. Miller said the campaign would settle all debts and return surplus funds where possible.
Miller retired from Bixby at the end of the 2024-25 school year. He said when he joined the superintendent race he intended to bring “pride and respect back to education.”
He will continue to advocate for public education but needs time to grieve, according to his announcement.
“Life has a way of turning us onto paths we did not expect,” Miller wrote. “Right now, my path is one of healing — tending to my spirit, caring for my family, and finding steady ground again.”
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