Stitt appoints Tulsa woman to Oklahoma Supreme Court

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday chose a Tulsa woman to fill an Oklahoma Supreme Court vacancy, marking for the first time in decades that most of the nine court members were Republican appointees.

In a statement, Stitt said Judge Dana Kuehn of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals would fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by retiring Justice Tom Colbert.

Kuehn has been serving on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals since her 2017 appointment by former Republican Gov. Mary Fallin. She previously served as an associate district judge in Tulsa County and was a prosecutor before that for nearly a decade.

Colbert was appointed by former Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat, and was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.

Kuehn is the Republican governor’s third Supreme Court appointment in as many years. He previously appointed Justices M. John Kane IV and Dustin Rowe. Five members of the court have been appointed by Republicans, while Democrats appointed four.