Rhonda Eastman, a Democrat with experience in the utilities, construction and trucking industries, is running for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Brad Boles.

The Corporation Commission oversees utilities and the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma.

Eastman, according to her campaign website, has centered her candidacy on tighter regulation of injection wells, opposition to data centers she says shift infrastructure costs to ratepayers and cleanup of thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across the state.

Candidate information

  • Name: Rhonda Eastman
  • Party: Democratic
  • Age: 53, as of the 2026 primary election
  • Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Hometown: Grew up in LeFlore County in rural eastern Oklahoma
  • Education: Spiro High School graduate

Experience

Eastman has worked in the utilities, construction and trucking industries, according to NonDoc.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Eastman's campaign website responses. Each reflects the candidate's own stated views.

Injection wells

Eastman said injection wells "were only ever supposed to be a temporary solution for oil production wastewater." She said numerous wells are leaking across the state, contaminating land and the water table with hydrocarbons, radioactive material, barium and other toxic materials.

Data centers

Eastman said she has concerns about utility upgrade costs being passed on to customers as data centers expand in Oklahoma. She said data centers come to the state for cheap land, abundant water and lax regulation. She opposes bringing nuclear power to Oklahoma to supply data centers, citing extreme weather concerns.

Industrial smelter near Inola

Eastman said she is "wholeheartedly against" a proposed smelter near Inola, Oklahoma, and has supported residents fighting the project. She said rural communities are often ignored in policy decisions and that jobs must fit into the existing community rather than come at its expense.

Orphan oil and gas wells

Eastman said Oklahoma has over 20,000 documented abandoned oil and gas wells and thousands of idle ones, with the list growing each year. She said these wells will fall to the state and, by extension, taxpayers to close.

Regulation of industry

Eastman said regulation exists to protect the environment, resources and people from exploitation. She said companies that intend to do the right thing "will never complain about regulation."

This profile is based on the candidate's published questionnaire responses and public reporting.