Forrest Bennett
Forrest Welch Bennett | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minority Whip of the Oklahoma House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Mickey Dollens |
| Assistant Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives | |
| In office January 2021 – January 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Shane Stone |
| Succeeded by | Melissa Provenzano |
| Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 92nd district | |
| Assumed office November 17, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Morrissette |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 13, 1989 Bartlesville, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Oklahoma (BA, MPA) |
Forrest Welch Bennett (born August 13, 1989) is an American politician who has served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 92nd district since 2016.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Bennett was born on August 13, 1989, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to Kevin and Cindy Bennett.[3] He graduated from Bartlesville High School in 2008 and enrolled at the University of Oklahoma.[3] While at OU, Bennett was involved with student government, including the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature,[4] and ran for OU student body president in 2011.[5] He graduated from OU with a bachelor's degree in political science in 2012 and completed his master's in public administration in 2016.[6] Following graduation, Bennett worked for a political consulting firm[3] and the public education advocacy group Stand For Children.[7][3]
Political career
[edit]In 2016, Bennett was one of three Democratic candidates who filed in Oklahoma House District 92 to replace Richard Morrissette, who could not run for re-election due to term limits.[8] During the campaign, Bennett made headlines for having his vehicle stolen while campaigning.[9] After securing his party's nomination, Bennett defeated Republican challenger Joe Griffin to win his seat.[10]
Bennett ran unopposed for re-election in 2018.[11]
Personal life
[edit]Bennett has two brothers, and stated “(g)rowing up as the middle child among three brothers has definitely helped me to understand the importance of compromise and negotiation.”[3] Bennett is married to OKCPS board member Meg McElhaney[12]
Election Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Forrest Bennett | 3,263 | 60.54 | |
| Republican | Joe Griffin | 2,127 | 39.46 | |
References
[edit]- ^ "Forrest Bennett wins seat in diverse House District 92". Newsok.com. November 8, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Representative Forrest Bennett". Okhouse.gov. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Bartlesville man runs for legislature in OKC". Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. January 24, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA INTERCOLLEGIATE LEGISLATURE DELEGATION". Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "UOSA candidates Forrest and Katherine discuss goals". March 7, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Bennett to take Bartlesville heritage to Capitol". December 27, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Bennett's past connection to controversial Common Core group draws questions". June 3, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Two Oklahoma House candidates have arrest records". June 27, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Candidate for Oklahoma house representative has car stolen while campaigning". May 2, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Oklahoma 92nd District State House Results Forrest Bennett Wins". August 1, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Governor's Race Tops Oklahoma Candidate Filings". April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Oklahoma City School Board appoints newest member". November 22, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
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