Gatz reappointed Secretary of Transportation
Reappointment returns Gatz to the transportation secretary role he has effectively held since 2019 as the position heads to Senate confirmation.
OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday reappointed Tim Gatz as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Transportation, restoring the title he has functionally held since 2019 and sending the nomination to the Senate for confirmation.
The move follows a two‑year dispute over “dual office‑holding” that forced Gatz to step down as transportation secretary in 2024 after Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued an opinion barring agency heads from serving simultaneously as Cabinet secretaries—a position the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned in 2025, affirming the governor’s authority to appoint agency heads to Cabinet roles.
“This whole ordeal was nothing more than semantics,” Stitt said, adding that Gatz has been his go‑to on transportation matters since 2019.
Gatz, who continues as ODOT executive director, said he’s honored to serve and emphasized public safety and infrastructure performance; the reappointment follows the court’s ruling that resolved the dual‑role dispute and cleared the way to restore his Cabinet title.
