Tulsa County Commissioner-elect Lonnie Sims has appointed State Representative Mark Vancuren as Deputy Commissioner, a key leadership role as Sims prepares to take office on January 1, 2025.

Sims and Vancuren, both elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2018, served during a very transformative six-year period for the state, addressing revenue shortfalls, eliminating budget deficits, and building a record $4 billion in savings. During their tenure, legislative outcomes also included historic education reforms, tax cuts to combat inflation for everyday Oklahomans, and the establishment of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) to ensure greater accountability and transparency in state government.

Multiple sources have asserted there is an effort underway by Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith to place James Rae, her current Chief Deputy, in a permanent staff position before her term ends in January. Commissioner Keith did not run for reelection, but for Tulsa Mayor and lost that race November 5.

Observers question if a job is being manufactured to “home” a political operative. Rae ran for the County Commission seat but was defeated in the primary. Rae had previously run for the Texas Legislature prior to moving to Tulsa and came in third in the Democratic Party Primary.