Gateway Mortgage chief enters political arena

The CEO of Gateway Mortgage has announced his intention to run for governor of Oklahoma

Gateway Mortgage chief enters political arena

The head of Gateway Mortgage has thrown his hat in the ring for a governorship.

Kevin Stitt, founder and CEO of Gateway Mortgage, has officially declared that he intends to run for governor of Oklahoma in 2018, according to a HousingWire report.

Stitt is just one of many vying to move into the governor’s mansion. According to HousingWire, there are currently 13 candidates registered to run for the office in the 2018 election. And Stitt, a Republican, is the sixth GOP contender to register with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

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“This campaign is about growth,” Stitt told Tulsa World. “I built my business; now I want to grow our economy and give teachers the tools they need to make our schools and children successful.”

Gateway Mortgage has become a significant force in the industry since Stitt founded the company in 2000. Gateway currently has more than 145 locations across the country, is licensed in more than 40 states and boasts about 1,100 employees.

Gateway projects it will originate more than $6 billion in mortgages in 2017, HousingWire reported. The company is predicting that its servicing portfolio will top $16 billion this year.

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Stitt is hoping that success will carry over into the governor’s office.

“Our state’s problems are too large to ignore,” he told Tulsa World. “I’m running for governor because I believe we need new leadership to turn our state around.”

Stitt said he was the “only candidate in this race” with the necessary “business experience” to make changes “so Oklahoma can be number one.”