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Kevin Matthews (politician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kevin Matthews
Member of the Oklahoma Senate
from the 11th district
Assumed office
April 15, 2015
Preceded byJabar Shumate
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
from the 73rd district
In office
November 14, 2012 – April 15, 2015
Preceded byJabar Shumate
Succeeded byRegina Goodwin
Personal details
Born (1960-03-02) March 2, 1960 (age 64)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Central Oklahoma
Alma materBooker T. Washington High School
Professionfirefighter, politician

Kevin Matthews (born March 2, 1960) is an American politician who has served in the Oklahoma Senate from the 11th district since 2015. He previously served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 73rd district from 2012 to 2015.

Early life, education, and career

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Kevin Matthews was born in Tulsa where he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. He attended Central State University between 1978 and 1981. He later earned a degree in fire protection technology while working for the Tulsa Fire Department.[1] He worked for 25 years for the department, retiring as the Administrative Fire Chief of the department. He was the first African American Administrative Fire Chief for the Tulsa Fire Department.[2]

Oklahoma House of Representatives

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Mathews was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2012 and sworn into office on November 14 of that year.[1]

Oklahoma Senate

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Mathews ran in a special election to succeed Jabar Shumate in 2015. The Democratic primary decided the election since no non-Democratic candidates filed. He faced Regina Goodwin and Heather Nash in the primary election and won with 47% of the vote.[3] He did not run for reelection in 2024 due to term limits.[4]

Electoral history

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2015 Oklahoma Senate district 11 Democratic primary special election[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kevin Matthews 1,619 47.3%
Democratic Regina Goodwin 1,317 38.5%
Democratic Heather Nash 486 14.2%
Total votes 3,422 100.0

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kevin Matthews". Oklahoma Senate. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Stockett, Rian (18 February 2024). "Senator Kevin Matthews honored at Tulsa Fire Museum's Black History Month tribute". KTUL. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  3. ^ Krehbiel, Randy (April 8, 2015). "Kevin Matthews wins three-way battle for state Senate". Tulsa World. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Krehbiel, Randy (October 22, 2023). "Political notebook: Two new state board of education members appointed". Tulsa World. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  5. ^ "April 7, 2015 Oklahoma Official Results". results.okelections.us. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 3 June 2024.