TULSA, Oklahoma (April 12, 2018) – Kevin Stitt, founder and CEO of Gateway Mortgage in Tulsa, officially filed today as a Republican candidate for Governor of Oklahoma.
“The career politicians who got Oklahoma into this mess cannot get us out,” said Kevin Stitt. “I have built a successful business from the ground up by casting vision, hiring talented people, balancing budgets and making strategic decisions. I will use this experience to make Oklahoma’s budget more accountable and to audit every agency while casting a bold vision to make Oklahoma Top Ten in growth, education, and government efficiencies. I am committed to making decisions for the next generation, and not the next election.”
Stitt is an Oklahoman entrepreneur and businessman who founded Gateway Mortgage in 2000, at the age of 25, with $1,000 and a computer. By delivering strong vision and leadership, Stitt has grown Gateway into a nationwide mortgage company that today employs 1,200 people, has field offices in 41 states, and holds a loan servicing portfolio of more than $16 billion. In 2017, Gateway Mortgage Group was named to the Inc. 5000 list for the 7th time and has received numerous awards for its success, growth and corporate culture. In the state of Oklahoma, Gateway has helped families achieve the American dream of homeownership in 74 of the state’s 77 counties.
Stitt continued, “On my first day as governor, I will end politics as usual and recruit new leaders to serve in state agencies, rooting out waste and delivering measurable outcomes with Oklahomans’ tax dollars.
“In education, I will keep our state focused on delivering Top Ten outcomes for our students. We must continue to drive more money in the classroom and expand the use of modern technology to deliver a forward-leaning education system. But the future of Oklahoma will only change for the better if we are growing and leveraging the momentum we see today across the nation. I am the only candidate in this race who has first-hand experience creating jobs, and I am ready to recruit new companies that diversify our economy and grow our middle class.”
Since entering the race, Stitt has brought in more than $3 million from more than 1,255 individual donors. Of the total amount, half was made possible due to Stitt’s promise to match each donation dollar-for-dollar.
“Our movement continues to draw new Oklahomans in to the campaign process and is growing the Republican party,” Stitt said. “I am proud that our donations are coming from individual people – entrepreneurs, grandparents, teachers, farmers, construction workers, and everyday Oklahomans. It is going to take all of us working together to start Oklahoma’s turnaround.”
Stitt is a fourth-generation Oklahoman, raised in Norman where his dad was a minister and spent many summers as a youth in Skiatook where his grandfather owned a dairy farm. Stitt graduated from Norman High School and worked his way through Oklahoma State University by selling books with the Southwestern Company. Stitt has been married to his wife, Sarah, for nearly 20 years and together they have six children and live in Tulsa.
For more details about Kevin Stitt and his campaign to make Oklahoma a Top Ten state, visit www.StittforGovernor.com.
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