A lieutenant colonel in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, Kintsel, of Oklahoma City, has led the state's Department of Veterans Affairs since 2019. Before that, he served as the Oklahoma House parliamentarian for 14 years.
This appears to be his first campaign for public office.
In a news release announcing his campaign, Kintsel called himself a "Ronald Reagan conservative" and criticized Stitt.
Without citing specifics, Kintsel alleged the Stitt administration is rife with corruption, mismanagement and cronyism.
“Throughout my career, I have served the people of Oklahoma and I am honored today to announce my candidacy for Governor," Kintsel said in the news release. "Oklahoma is in desperate need of a governor who will obey the law, set high ethical standards and do things by the book."
Stitt's campaign declined to comment.
Kintsel is a staff judge advocate for the 137th Special Operations Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. He enlisted with the guard in 2001.
If elected, he says his first priority will be to "clean up" the mismanagement left behind by the Stitt administration.
He did not detail any policy priorities in his announcement, nor are there any listed on his campaign website. Kintsel did not immediately respond to a voicemail message left Thursday.
"We cannot allow Stitt and his buddies to continue enriching themselves at the taxpayer’s expense," Kintsel said. "Let’s stand together and set things right for Oklahoma. Let’s create a future where all Oklahomans have the opportunity to succeed and thrive.”
Original source can be found here.
