Commissioners Todd Hiett, left, Kim David and Bob Anthony have each accepted campaign contributions from the industries they regulate. (Photo by Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY – Not all of Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett’s friends really understand his role in state government.
Hiett said they assume he is a county commissioner, putting down gravel and building county roads. However, Hiett sits on a three-person board that regulates a range of industries including transportation, oil and gas, towing and public utilities.
Unlike other states, Oklahoma’s commissioners are elected and must win the support of the majority of Oklahomans statewide.
Hiett, who has served on the commission since January 2015, said it’s expensive to wage an election campaign for “a statewide office that most of the state doesn’t have a clue what you do.”
That’s part of the reason why he and the other commissioners accept campaign contributions from the industries they regulate, Hiett said.