Where Does Lankford’s Decision Leave The Rest Of The Field?

Staff

So where does that leave the rest of the field?

Congressman Jim Bridenstine, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, and House Speaker T.W. Shannon are still considering the race, according to various sources close to each.

Congressman Bridenstine has been the subject of a full-court press from many national conservative groups urging the freshman Congressman to make the race, according to sources in Tulsa and Washington, D.C.

One such group, the D.C.-based Club for Growth, suggested in an email
to The Hill that the group would be hesitant to support Congressman
Lankford (knocking Congressman Tom Cole as well) noting his low score
according to the Club for Growth’s congressional scorecard.

“We do not know who will run for Sen. Coburn’s seat, but we do know
that Sen. Coburn has an outstanding 96 percent lifetime score on the
Club for Growth’s congressional scorecard and is a champion of
economic freedom. On the other hand, Congressman Lankford has a
lifetime 78 percent and Congressman Cole has a lifetime 73 percent,
both of which are obviously substantially different from a score in
the 90s,” said spokesman Barney Keller.

Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon, a J.C. Watts protégé who was named a “Rising Star” by the Republican National Committee, is strongly considering the race as well. Watts recruited Shannon onto his staff when he was in Congress and the two have remained close friends.

Shannon, like his former boss, is considered to be a minority face desperately needed by the GOP. Sources say he has been fielding numerous calls over the last few days from Oklahoma business and
community leaders, as well as conservative groups from Washington, D.C. who are urging him to enter the race.

Shannon is a favorite among local Tea Party leaders who supported him
when he ran for House Speaker two years ago. Shannon’s strong
conservative approach has irritated state Capitol insiders, including key players in Governor Fallin’s administration who are upset with him for refusing to add to the state’s bond indebtedness, his attempts to repeal Common Core, and for his strident insistence on deeper income tax cuts.

Shannon nevertheless is a potentially strong candidate with a
statewide network among the 72 GOP legislators he leads in the House,
and sources say his charismatic appeal could catch fire on a national
scale if he enters the Senate race.

Attorney General Pruitt, we’re told, has been on the receiving end of discouraging news from several of his key supporters, who have had to tell Pruitt they are backing Lankford. Sources say the two share so many supporters that they have both been calling many of the same people, with Lankford edging out Pruitt when it comes to getting commitments.

However, Pruitt has built a reputation as a conservative Attorney General who has gained nationwide exposure for his legal battle against ObamaCare, and GOP operatives in Oklahoma consider him to be a formidable candidate should he enter the race.