Kevin Stitt Net Worth, Family, wife, Education, Children, Age, Biography, Political Career

Kevin Stitt Biography

John Kevin Stitt is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 28th governor of Oklahoma since January 2019. He founded and is a former chairman and CEO of Gateway Mortgage Group. A Republican, he was elected governor in 2018. A member of the Cherokee Nation, Stitt is the first tribally enrolled Native American to serve as governor of a U.S. state and Oklahomas second governor of Native descent after Johnston Murray. Stitt grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in accounting.

Kevin Stitt Net Worth

Kevin Stitt Net Worth is $ 100 Thousand in 2022.

Kevin Stitt Family, Parents

Stitt was born in Milton, Florida, and spent his early years in Wayne, Oklahoma. He later moved to Norman, where his father was the pastor of Riverside Church. Stitt is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation through his great-grandfather, Robert Benton Dawson. Dawson was given land in the Skiatook area because of his tribal citizenship, and the land is still in the family, now owned by an uncle of Stitts. Stitts maternal grandparents were dairy farmers in Skiatook. His paternal grandfather was the head veterinarian at the Oklahoma City Stockyards.

Kevin Stitt Wife, Children

Stitt married Sarah Hazen in 1998 and they have six children.

Kevin Stitt Career and Achievement

Financial Services Career

Stitt worked in the financial services sector before starting Gateway in 2000. He founded the company and was president and CEO until January 2014, when he became chairman-CEO. Stitt has said he started Gateway in 2000 with "$1,000 and a computer." His first obstacle was to get approved as a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lender, for which the company needed a net worth of $50,000. To achieve that, Stitt put forward the equity in his home. In 2002, Gateway secured its first warehouse line, began obtaining licensing in states other than Oklahoma, and started recruiting loan officers. By 2006, it had over 400 employees.

In August 2018, Stitt stepped down as CEO and hired outside management. Legal Counsel Scott Gesell became CEO in 2020 and Stitt remained chairman until shortly before his inauguration as governor. Gateway is a midsize company based in Jenks, Oklahoma. It employs more than 1,500 people and originates mortgages in 42 states.

2018 Oklahoma Gubernatorial Campaign

In July 2017, Stitt announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in 2018. Facing nine other candidates in the primary election, he ran a statewide campaign with stops in nearly every city and town in all 77 counties. He finished second, defeating, among others, Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb. In the August 28 primary runoff, Stitt defeated Mick Cornett, a former mayor of Oklahoma City. In the November general election, Stitt defeated the Democratic nominee, former Attorney General Drew Edmondson, and Libertarian Chris Powell.

In the GOP runoff, political newcomer Stitt received crucial support from a trio of conservative leaders as U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and former U.S. Senators Rick Santorum and Tom Coburn endorsed him. In the general election, Stitt was endorsed by former primary rival Mick Cornett, the incumbent governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin and President Donald Trump. The Stitt campaign promptly rejected Fallins endorsement with a press release: "We did not seek and Kevin Stitt has run on a campaign message that he will do things a lot differently. He is focused on changing the structure of state government and cleaning up the mess we are currently in at the Capitol."

During his campaign, Stitt called himself "the only job creator with proven business experience" running for governor and emphasized his business background. He called on the state to become "top 10 in job growth, top 10 in education and top 10 in infrastructure."

During the general election, the close race drew increased attention from national media and political figures. Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for Stitt.

Governor of Oklahoma

Transition

After the election, transition activities began as Stitt prepared to assume office. A spokesperson for the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services announced that Stitt would occupy temporary office space in the Capitol, which was under renovation, and not occupy the Governors Office until early 2020 due to the restoration project. Stitt also announced that he would not immediately move his family into the Oklahoma Governors Mansion in Oklahoma City, instead remaining in Jenks until summer 2019 to allow his daughter to graduate from high school.

Inauguration

Stitt was inaugurated on January 14, 2019, at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Chief Justice of Oklahoma Noma Gurich swore him and Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell into office. Stitt then gave a 15-minute inaugural address.

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