State Representative Tom Newell Announces Resignation

Oklahoma House District 28 State Rep. Tom Newell announced his resignation Friday.

Rep. Newell’s last day will be December 31, 2016.

Gov. Fallin will call for a special election within 30 days to fill the seat, which covers Seminole County and the northern portion of Pottawatomie County in east central Oklahoma.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of House District 28,” said Newell, R-Seminole. “I will be pursuing an opportunity in the private sector that will allow me to spend more time with my family, while allowing me to serve families nationwide.

Newell, a Bristow Oklahoma native and pastor, was first elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2011. During the 2016 legislative session he served as chair of the Government Oversight and Accountability Committee. He also served on the Business, Labor & Retirement Laws Committee, the Children, Youth & Family Services Committee, and on the Revenue & Taxation Appropriations Subcommittee.