ELGIN, OK — February 16, 2026
The Comanche County Republican Party will host a candidate forum for the office of Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Elgin Public Schools Performing Arts Center.
Lawton Town Crier will provide live coverage of the forum and will publish the full replay following the event.
Scheduled Candidates
According to the event graphic, the following candidates are scheduled to appear:
- John Cox
- Toni Hasenbeck
- Rob Miller
- Adam Pugh
- James Taylor
The forum will be moderated by:
- Dr. Elizabeth Pleasant
- Jennifer Strand
Questions for the forum were submitted in advance to education@comanchegop.org, as noted in the promotional materials.
What the Forum Covers
The office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction oversees statewide education policy, accreditation standards, accountability systems, and administrative leadership for Oklahoma’s public schools.
Topics expected to arise during the forum may include:
- Academic standards and assessment
- School accountability frameworks
- Teacher recruitment and retention
- Funding priorities
- Special education services and student supports
- Workforce development and postsecondary alignment
Lawton Town Crier will present the forum in full without commentary or editorial interruption.
Live Coverage
The livestream is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.
▶ Watch live:
If viewers are unable to watch live, the full replay will remain available. Chapters and timestamps will be added after the event to allow viewers to navigate directly to specific candidate responses.
Lawton Town Crier
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