Oklahoma’s top education official has endorsed former President Donald Trump for reelection, a split from Gov. Kevin Stitt’s choice for the Republican nominee.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters said on Wednesday he received a call from Trump this week and would join the former president’s reelection team.
“I fully stand behind President Trump, and I am excited to see him dismantle the Department of Education,” Walters said in a video posted to social media.
Walters has long been a supporter of the former president, often echoing Trump’s conservative brand of politics and pro-America approach to education. He similarly has called for the federal Department of Education to be eliminated.
“President Trump will be able to end radical indoctrination in our schools,” Walters said. “This woke ideology will be driven out of our schools. This cancer that is the teachers union will be driven out of our schools, and parents will be put in charge of their kids’ education.”
Polls predict Trump on average is 45.9 points ahead of his opponents for the Republican nomination and place him a tick ahead of Democratic President Joe Biden.
Presidents often look to officials who endorsed their campaign when making appointments to their Cabinet, putting Walters in a potentially advantageous position should Trump win the 2024 presidential election.
Stitt was the first governor to endorse Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president, a decision that drew criticism from Trump himself.
Stitt called DeSantis “the right guy to beat Biden for the next eight years” at a Tulsa campaign event five months ago.
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