T. W. Shannon
Tahrohon Wayne Shannon is an American and Chickasaw politician who served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 62nd district from 2007 to 2015, as the first African-American to serve as the speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2013 to 2014, and in the administration of President Donald Trump from 2025 to 2026.
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 from U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Shannon lost the Republican nomination for the Senate to James Lankford. 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 Markwayne Mullin in the Republican primary.
In January 2026, he announced a 2026 Oklahoma lieutenant gubernatorial election campaign.
Early life and education
Tahrohon Wayne Shannon was born on February 24, 1978, to a Chickasaw father and an African-American mother. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Cameron University and a Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University School of Law.Career
Shannon worked as a field representative for former Congressman J. C. Watts and later served in the same position for Congressman Tom Cole. An enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, he worked as the chief administrative officer for Chickasaw Nation Enterprises.Oklahoma House of Representatives
Shannon was first elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2006, defeating opponent Janice Drewry in the general election. He rose to leadership in the state House, where he served as deputy majority whip in his first term, chaired the transportation committee in his second term and was elected speaker-designate in his third term. On January 8, 2013, Shannon took the oath of office to be the speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He is the first African-American and Chickasaw to sit as Oklahoma House Speaker, and the fourth speaker of Native heritage, after William A. Durant, William P. Willis, and Larry E. Adair.He has advocated for identifying and selling off state-owned properties that were not being fully utilized. Shannon sponsored an eight-year plan to divert state income tax revenue to repairing Oklahoma's structurally deficient bridges.
As speaker, Shannon authored legislation to create a long-term plan to address the maintenance of state-owned properties and consolidate property management entities.
The first sale under the program to sell off state-owned properties was the sale of a former studio for the state public television station for $130,000. The next properties up for sale are a townlot in Buffalo and 5.58 acres in Marietta.
Shannon advocated a controversial measure to require Oklahoma recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to perform at least 35 hours of work activities or be denied aid. The work requirement was scaled back after the cost of providing job training to SNAP recipients became clear.
GOPAC, an organization whose mission it is to support up-and-coming Republican leaders, added Shannon to its national advisory board in 2013.
House district 62 encompasses Lawton, Oklahoma and its surrounding communities.
US Senate campaigns
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 endorsed by Bill Anoatubby, the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation. Shannon finished in second place in the 13 candidate field, advancing to a runoff against Markwayne Mullin. Mullin defeated Shannon in the runoff.