OKLAHOMA CITY — A state representative from Del City has asked the attorney general to review whether or not a new governor’s mansion can be built without the approval of the Oklahoma Legislature.
State Rep. Andy Fugate sent a letter to Attorney General Gentner Drummond last week. In the letter Fugate asked about how funds would be appropriated through the Capital Improvements Authority a new governor’s mansion and for maintenance of the structure.
“I formally requested an opinion from the Attorney General regarding the legal authority of the Capitol Preservation Commission to initiate construction of a new executive mansion for the State of Oklahoma,” Fugate said in a media statement announcing his letter. “Specifically, I am seeking clarity on whether the Commission can commit the state without legislative approval to the long-term financial obligations associated with operating, maintaining, and securing access to an additional government-owned residence.”
Fugate’s request follows the Capitol Preservation Commission’s approval of plans for construction of a new executive mansion on the grounds of the existing mansion. The project will be funded through private donations. The current governor’s mansion would remain.
Fugate said the mansion is a “stately 14,000-square-foot home, (that) has served our state’s executive leadership for nearly a century. It stands as a symbol of Oklahoma’s history and resilience,” he said. “To suggest that this residence is no longer suitable raises serious questions about priorities.”
Built in 1928, the existing governor’s mansion — which has 12 rooms — was funded through a $100,000 legislative appropriation. The funds included $75,000 for construction and $25,000 for furnishings. Two years later, state records show, another $39,000 was set aside to complete outbuildings and landscaping.
“Those pushing for a new mansion because of its age should consider the example that exists in our nation’s capital. The White House is more than a century older than our own Governor’s Mansion. It continues to serve as both a residence and a powerful emblem of American democracy,” Fugate said.
Neither Stitt nor his family live in the governor’s mansion. Stitt has previously expressed concern about the structure and its age. Stitt also told The Oklahoman in 2023 that the mansion doesn’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Most other states protect their historic governor’s mansion,” Stitt said. “And then there’s a difference with where the governor actually lives.”
And while Stitt said he and his family didn’t live in the mansion, he said he did use the complex regularly. “I use it for meetings and business and lunches with the Legislature and dignitaries that come in.”
In that same interview, Stitt said complaints about the construction of a new mansion were just “political hit pieces by opponents to try and make people think ill about the governor.”
State lawmakers will return to the Capitol in February 2026.