T. W. Shannon
T. W. Shannon | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Senior Advisor for Rural Prosperity at the United States Department of Agriculture | |
| Assumed office April 14, 2025 | |
| Appointed by | Donald Trump |
| 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. |
| 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 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.