T. W. Shannon
T. W. Shannon | |
|---|---|
| 46th Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives | |
| In office January 8, 2013 – February 10, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Kris Steele |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Hickman |
| Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 62nd district | |
| In office January 2, 2007 – January 5, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Abe Deutschendorf |
| Succeeded by | John Montgomery |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Tahrohon Wayne Shannon February 24, 1978 Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nationality | American Chickasaw Nation |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Devon Murray (m. 2001) |
| Education | Cameron University (BA) Oklahoma City University (JD) |
| Website | Official website |
Tahrohon Wayne Shannon (born February 24, 1978) is an American banker and politician who served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives for the 62nd district from 2007 to 2015. In 2013, he became Oklahoma's first African-American speaker of the House.
Shannon stepped down as the speaker to run for the Republican nomination in the 2014 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma to succeed Tom Coburn. Despite Tea Party support and endorsements that included U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Shannon lost the Republican nomination for the Senate to U.S. Representative James Lankford by almost 20 points.
In March 2022, Shannon announced that he was running in the 2022 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma to succeed the retiring Republican Jim Inhofe. He was defeated by U.S. Representative Markwayne Mullin in the Republican primary by more than 26 points.