Former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon announced Tuesday that he is running for lieutenant governor, launching a statewide campaign tour and positioning himself as a conservative aligned with former President Donald Trump.
Shannon said he is stepping away from his role as a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Prosperity, where he worked on rural policy issues and regulatory reform, to focus full time on the campaign. He has served inside the Trump administration for the past year.
Shannon previously served as National Chair of Black Voices for Trump during the 2020 election cycle and later as an executive board member of Black Men for Trump in 2024.
Before his federal service, Shannon was the youngest Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he advanced conservative legislation including repealing affirmative action policies and restructuring welfare programs. He also served as an Oklahoma Transportation Commissioner, overseeing major infrastructure funding and transportation projects.
In the private sector, Shannon worked as a bank chief executive officer, overseeing asset growth and lending focused on job creation.
Shannon said his campaign will emphasize conservative policy priorities and opposition to federal regulations, adding that he plans to take his message statewide in the coming days.
