GETTING IS GOOD. GIVING IS BETTER .
GOV. KEVIN AND SARAH STITT WITH THEIR CHILDREN, NATALIE, 19, DREW, 17, KATE, 13, PIPER, 11, REMINGTON, 9, AND HOUSTON, 5.
As the discussion often does among moms, the universal topic of trying to take family photos with a gaggle of kids surfaces. “I always say, just try to look normal, and my kids are like, ‘What’s normal?!’” laughs Stitt, who adds that husband Gov. Kevin Stitt has concocted just the right recipe of bribery and fun. “He’ll say, ‘If we can get this done in under 35 minutes, I’ll get you ice cream. If we can get it done in under 45, you can watch extra TV.’” (We’re all adding Gov. Stitt’s method to our mental checklist for future family photos.) Considering politics It’s the Stitts’ six kids, ranging in age from 5 to 19, who are their pride and passion, as well as what drove the family to seek office. Neither career politicians, the Stitts believe looking through their kids’ eyes gives them fresh perspective. “We started to realize they probably won’t all stay here,” said Stitt. “We need to make Oklahoma a place where our kids can be healthy and have a bright future.” When Gov. Stitt first told Sarah he wanted to run for governor, she asked him not to tell anyone else, perhaps hoping she could talk him out of it. “He’d bring me statistics, saying, ‘Did you know Oklahoma has the highest incarceration rate?’” recalls Stitt. “And I’d say, ‘Then why do you want to be governor?!’”
Gov. Stitt’s logic, and the vision Sarah Stitt began to believe in wholeheartedly too: they could make a difference. As Stitt warmed to the idea, she considered what it would mean for their family. “When Kevin talked about running for governor, I thought, ‘My life is about to jump tracks,’” said Stitt. “I had developed this great world where I felt pretty in control.” That world included her own professional accomplishments, founding Gateway Mortgage Group in 2000 with her husband only two years after the couple was married in 1998. Stitt also held a career in residential home building. All of Stitt’s professional and personal experiences prepared her in various ways for her role as First Lady, her strong work ethic, love of learning, grace under pressure and gift for public speaking all coming into play, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still surreal, even a year later. “Sometimes I think, ‘What am I doing here?’” Stitt laughs. “I’m such an informal person and [sometimes] feel overwhelmed or like the least qualified person for this.” Just as she was concerned about her young kids racing through the halls of the historic governor’s mansion, heirlooms and breakables at their fingertips, she also jokes that she’ll probably make the news during her reign for one of her kids throwing a fit in Walmart. In truth, she is learning to navigate a world she was completely unfamiliar with.
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METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2020 11
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