OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A 27-year-old Republican House member from Bristow was elected to the No. 2 spot in the House Tuesday by his GOP colleagues.
Rep. Kyle Hilbert was unanimously selected by his fellow Republicans as speaker pro tempore of the House. He replaces Rep. Terry O’Donnell, who has been indicted on multiple felony counts accusing him of abusing his power by changing state law so his wife could become a tag agent. O’Donnell resigned from his leadership post but not his position as a state representative. He has denied wrongdoing.
As speaker pro tempore, Hilbert gets an additional $12,364 annually on top of his annual legislative salary of $47,500.
House officials note that Hilbert, first elected in 2016, is the youngest speaker pro tempore in modern history. Rep. Kevin Wallace, who delivered the nominating speech, called Hilbert a “calm and reasoned voice.”
Hilbert previously served as vice chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. Rep. Ryan Martinez, an Edmond Republican, will replace Hilbert in that role.
