{{Short description|American lawyer and politician}} {{For|the American football player|Glen Coffee}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Glenn Coffee |image = Coffee bio.jpg |image_size = 200px |office = 30th Secretary of State of Oklahoma |governor = Mary Fallin |term_start = January 11, 2011 |term_end = February 1, 2013 |predecessor = M. Susan Savage |successor = Michelle Day |office1 = President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate |term_start1 = 2009 |term_end1 = 2011 |predecessor1 = Mike Morgan |successor1 = Brian Bingman |office2 = Minority Leader of the Oklahoma Senate |term_start2 = 2005 |term_end2 = 2007 |predecessor2 = James Allen Williamson |successor2 = Charlie Laster |state_senate3 = Oklahoma |district3 = 30th |term_start3 = 1999 |term_end3 = 2011 |predecessor3 = Howard Hendrick |successor3 = David Holt |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|1|20}} |birth_place = Lubbock, Texas, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Republican |spouse = Lisa |children = 4 |education = Northeastern State University (BA)<br />University of Oklahoma (JD) }} '''Virgil Glenn Coffee''' (born January 20, 1967) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Coffee was the 30th Oklahoma Secretary of State, having been appointed by Governor Mary Fallin. He served from January 10, 2011, until he resigned effective February 1, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sos.ok.gov/home/former_secretaries.aspx|title=Former Secretaries of State|website=www.sos.ok.gov|accessdate=November 15, 2023|archive-date=December 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208113938/https://www.sos.ok.gov/home/former_secretaries.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> He was the first Republican President Pro Tempore, having previously served as a Co-President Pro Tempore during the previous legislature.
One of Coffee's most notable achievements was the passage of a comprehensive lawsuit reform measure in Oklahoma, signed into law in May 2009.
==Early life and career== Coffee was born in Lubbock, Texas on January 20, 1967, and moved to Oklahoma City.<ref name="votesmart">[http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/23521/glenn-coffee Glenn Coffee] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525025039/http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/23521/glenn-coffee |date=May 25, 2013 }}, Project Vote Smart (accessed May 14, 2013)</ref> He graduated from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in political science before attending the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor.<ref name="votesmart"/>
Coffee joined the Oklahoma law firm Phillips Murrah, P.C., and continued his private practice during his time at the Oklahoma Legislature.<ref>[http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/coffee_bio.html Glenn Coffee Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116035116/http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/coffee_bio.html |date=November 16, 2006 }}, Oklahoma Senate (accessed February 3, 2010).</ref>
==Political career==
===Oklahoma Senate=== First elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 1998, Coffee was re-elected to without opposition in 2006.<ref>[http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/06unopp.pdf Unopposed Candidates Elected] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017205320/http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/06unopp.pdf |date=October 17, 2012 }}, [http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/Election_Results_and_Statistics_2006.html Election Results and Statistics 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614115827/http://www.ok.gov/elections/The_Archives/Election_Results/2006_Election_Results/Election_Results_and_Statistics_2006.html |date=June 14, 2013 }}, Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed May 14, 2013)</ref> Coffee served as one of two Co-President Pro Tempores of the Oklahoma Senate during the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions and 41st President Pro Tempore for a one-month term because of a tied Senate membership.<ref>Hoberock, Barbara. "[http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Senates_power_sharing_accord_carries_a_cost/070612_1_a1_spanc58735 Senate's power-sharing accord carries a cost]," ''Tulsa World'', July 12, 2007 (accessed May 14, 2013)</ref>
After the 2008 elections gave the Republican caucus of the Oklahoma Senate outright control of the chamber on November 4, 2008, the caucus elected Coffee as the President Pro Tempore on November 6, 2008. He was the first Republican in state history to serve in the position. One of his most notable achievements as President Pro Tempore was the passage of a comprehensive lawsuit reform measure in Oklahoma, signed into law in May 2009.<ref>"[http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2009/05/22/100775.htm Oklahoma Gov. Signs Comprehensive Tort Reform Legislation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224004132/http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2009/05/22/100775.htm |date=February 24, 2012 }}," ''Insurance Journal'', May 22, 2009 (accessed February 3, 2010)</ref>
===Fallin Administration=== Due to term limits placed on him by the Oklahoma Constitution, Coffee was unable to seek re-election in 2010. However, following the election of Mary Fallin as Governor of Oklahoma in November 2010, Coffee was named as the Co-Chairman of her Transition Committee. On January 4, 2011, Fallin named Coffee as her Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, Coffee represented the governor in budgetary and legislative discussions between the executive branch and the Oklahoma Legislature.<ref>[http://www.governorelectmaryfallin.org/article/governor-elect-fallin-names-glenn-coffee-as-secretary-of-state Governor-elect Fallin names Glenn Coffee as Secretary of State] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107204746/http://governorelectmaryfallin.org/article/governor-elect-fallin-names-glenn-coffee-as-secretary-of-state |date=January 7, 2011 }}, Office of Governor-elect Fallin, 1-4-2011</ref> Coffee resigned in December, 2012 with an effective date of February 1, 2013, to return to private law practice.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://newsok.com/oklahoma-secretary-of-state-will-step-down/article/3735505 |title=The Oklahoman |access-date=November 18, 2013 |archive-date=January 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111053435/http://newsok.com/oklahoma-secretary-of-state-will-step-down/article/3735505 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==See also== * 51st Oklahoma Legislature * 52nd Oklahoma Legislature * Oklahoma Republican Party Source:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoberock |first=Barbara |date=October 24, 2013 |title=Former House speaker Chris Benge named secretary of state |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/former-house-speaker-chris-benge-named-secretary-of-state/article_3877931e-676a-599a-9523-7ace23071507.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230919180517/https://tulsaworld.com/news/government/former-house-speaker-chris-benge-named-secretary-of-state/article_3877931e-676a-599a-9523-7ace23071507.html |archive-date=September 19, 2023 |access-date=October 31, 2013 |website=Tulsa World}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130709122943/http://www.oksenate.gov/ Homepage of the Oklahoma State Senate]
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-ok-sen}} {{s-bef|before=Howard Hendrick}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Oklahoma Senate<br />from the 30th district|years=1999–2011}} {{s-aft|after=David Holt}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Mike Morgan}} {{s-ttl|title=President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate|years=2009–2011}} {{s-aft|after=Brian Bingman}} |- {{s-bef|before=M. Susan Savage}} {{s-ttl|title=Secretary of State of Oklahoma|years=2011–2013}} {{s-aft|after=Michelle Day}} {{end}}
{{Mary Fallin cabinet}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffee, Glenn}} Category:1967 births Category:Heads of Oklahoma state agencies Category:Lawyers from Oklahoma City Category:Living people Category:Northeastern State University alumni Category:Oklahoma lawyers Category:Republican Party Oklahoma state senators Category:21st-century members of the Oklahoma Legislature Category:Politicians from Oklahoma City Category:Secretaries of state of Oklahoma Category:University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni Category:Presidents pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate