Oklahoma House Speaker Jeff Hickman has solidified a new two-year term as the leader of the House and rebuffed a challenge from a four-term state representative from Guthrie.
The 72-member House Republican caucus met behind closed doors on Monday and selected Hickman as the speaker-designate for the upcoming two-year legislative session that begins next year.
The caucus will vote again for speaker in November after the general election, but that vote is typically a formality.
Murphey was the only GOP member challenging Hickman, a Fairview Republican who won an election as speaker earlier this year after former Speaker T.W. Shannon stepped down to focus on his campaign for U.S. Senate.
Murphey was a Shannon loyalist who backed Hickman's opponent in the race for speaker after Shannon stepped down.
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