Charles Adelbert McCall III (born April 19, 1970) is an American politician who served as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 22nd district in southeastern Oklahoma from 2013 to 2024. He is the longest reigning Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Early life, family, and education
McCall was born on April 19, 1970, to Charles Andrew McCall and Barbara Ann McCall (née Clure), in Atoka, Oklahoma.[1][2] His family had lived in Atoka for four generations owning the local bank, AmeriState Bank.[3] Beginning in high school, McCall started working as a part-time bank teller at his family's bank, which was bought by his grandfather C. A. McCall in 1967.[4][5]
He graduated from Atoka High School in 1988. He attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in finance and economics. He became a licensed nursing home administrator in 1993 before earning an MBA in banking at the University of Colorado Boulder Graduate School of Banking in 2000.[6]
In 1994, McCall married his wife, Stephanie Ann Hays, whom he met while they were students at the University of Oklahoma. He and his wife have two sons. He and his family attend the Cornerstone Church in Atoka, where he serves as a church elder and teacher.[7]
AmeriState Bank
McCall became president of AmeriState in 2001 and CEO in 2009.[6] McCall resigned from his positions as CEO and president in 2012 after being elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, but remained as chairman of the board.[6]
From 2004 to 2005, McCall was a city councilman for Atoka's Ward 4 before serving as the mayor of Atoka from 2005 to 2012.[6][7]
Oklahoma House of Representatives
McCall was first elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2012, defeating Democrat Doris Row, of Sulphur and succeeding Wes Hilliard from Oklahoma's 22nd district. He became the first Republican to be elected to that seat.[8] He was re-elected by default in 2020.[9] He retired due to term limits in 2024.[10]
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
McCall is the longest serving Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in state history.[3]
On May 2, 2016, the Republican caucus voted to have McCall as their next Speaker over House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Earl Sears of Bartlesville.[8] He was elected Speaker-designate by the Republican caucus on November 15, one week after he was reelected to his seat in the November 8 elections.[11] He was formally elected Speaker on January 3, the first day of the 55th Oklahoma Legislature.[11]
In 2018, four other Republican members challenged McCall for the position of speaker. Three of the four withdrew before the vote, with Chad Caldwell of Enid left opposing McCall. On March 8, the Republican caucus reelected McCall as speaker in a closed-door vote.[12]
In April 2023, a "week before the deadline for bills to be heard in the opposite chamber's committees," McCall and the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, Greg Treat, were said to "continue to throw jabs at each other's education plans," leading parents and educators to be concerned there wouldn't be a solution that session.[13] As the session neared its end, both McCall and Treat still had not come to an agreement.[14] It was reported that the "two sides didn't even agree on how much they had been talking about education."[15] McCall reportedly thought the talks were going well, while Treat said he didn't feel "very hopeful."[16]
For school vouchers in a bill introduced in 2023, Treat acknowledged that "private schools wouldn’t be forced to admit all students, but he believes schools would expand enrollment when more families can afford it." Democrats have had concerns that "there are no assurances that low-income students would be admitted into a private school." Treat has also accused McCall of "refusing to negotiate and said the Senate’s income cap was a 'more responsible' school choice plan."[17]
2026 Oklahoma gubernatorial campaign
On February 18, 2025, McCall officially announced a campaign for Governor of Oklahoma.[18]
Electoral history
2012 Oklahoma House of Representatives
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William Claxton | 271 | 23.0 | |
| Republican | Charles McCall | 906 | 77.0 | |
| Total votes | 1,177 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles McCall | 6,727 | 50.9 | +11.5 | |
| Democratic | Doris Row | 6,492 | 49.1 | −11.5 | |
| Total votes | 13,219 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
2014 Oklahoma House of Representatives
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles McCall | 100.0 | ||
| Total votes | 100.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles McCall | 100.0 | ||
| Total votes | 100.0 | |||
2016 Oklahoma House of Representatives
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles McCall | 100.0 | ||
| Total votes | 100.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles McCall | 100.0 | ||
| Total votes | 100.0 | |||
References
- ^ "Voter Detail". Oklahoma Data. Retrieved February 24, 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Barbara McCall: Obituary". The Oklahoman. February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.[dead link]
- ^ a b "From small-town banker to Statehouse Speaker: Charles McCall's journey". KOKH. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ "The AmeriState Bank Story". AmeriState Bank. Retrieved February 22, 2017.[dead link]
- ^ Hightower, Michael J. (2014). Banking in Oklahoma, 1907–2000. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 403. ISBN 978-0806144955.
- ^ a b c d "Speaker Charles McCall". Oklahoma Speaker's Ball. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
- ^ a b McCarville, Mike (May 2, 2016). "Charles McCall Named House Speaker-Designate". McCarville Report. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Hoberock, Barbara (May 3, 2016). "House Republicans elect Atoka banker Charles McCall as speaker designate". Tulsa World. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Savage, Tres (2020). "More than 40 Oklahoma legislators re-elected by default". NonDoc.
- ^ Olsson, Faithanna (13 June 2024). "House District 22: Republican candidates for farmers, leery of feds". NonDoc. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b McCarville, Mike (November 15, 2016). "House Republicans Elect Leadership Team". McCarville Report. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ Denwalt, Dale. "House GOP keeps Speaker McCall", NewsOK, The Oklahoman, 8 March 2018. Retrieved on 9 February 2019.[dead link]
- ^ May, Payton (2023-04-07). "Oklahoma education standstill could head to a conference committee for negotiation". KOKH. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ "News 9". Oklahoma Session Nearing It's [sic] End, Lawmakers Still Disagree On Education. 13 April 2023.
- ^ Weber, Andy (2023-04-13). "Back-and-forth between House, Senate leaders continues amid education policy debate". KOCO. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
- ^ May, Payton (2023-04-13). "Education standstill continues with House and Senate on different pages over negotiations". KOKH. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
- ^ "Once focused on low-income students, Oklahoma's school choice effort goes 'universal'". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ Carter, M. Scott (February 18, 2025). "Former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall announces bid for governor". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
