Republican T.W. Shannon is running for Oklahoma lieutenant governor in the general election. Shannon, whose full name is Tahrohon Wayne Shannon, is a former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and has held roles in banking, tribal enterprise and federal government.

Shannon said on his campaign website that he made history as the youngest speaker of the Oklahoma House and the first African-American and Chickasaw to hold the position.

Candidate information

  • Full name: Tahrohon Wayne Shannon
  • Party: Republican
  • Office sought: Oklahoma lieutenant governor
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Born: Feb. 24, 1978, Lawton, Oklahoma
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in communication from Cameron University; J.D. from Oklahoma City University

Experience and public service

Shannon served as speaker of the Oklahoma House in 2013 and 2014, according to Wikipedia. He represented District 62 in the Oklahoma House from 2007 to 2015, according to BallotReady.

Before entering the Legislature, Shannon worked as a field representative for U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts and later for U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, according to Wikipedia. He also served as president and CEO of Shannon Strategies from 2004 to 2014 and as vice president of business development at Gabbard and Company from 2009 to 2010, according to BallotReady.

He left the Legislature in 2015.

After that, Shannon served as chief administrative officer at Chickasaw Nation Enterprises, according to Wikipedia. He was managing director at Premier Advisory Group/Premier Capital Partners from 2014 to 2017, according to BallotReady. Shannon has served as CEO of Chickasaw Community Bank since 2017, according to BallotReady.

Shannon served as senior advisor on rural prosperity at the United States Department of Agriculture in 2025 and 2026, according to Wikipedia. BallotReady also lists a role as senior advisor at the White House.

On the issues

Economy: Shannon said on his campaign website that he supports "cutting red tape that kills jobs and opportunity."

No additional policy responses from Shannon were available in the materials reviewed for this profile.

Endorsements

Shannon's campaign website states he has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.

  • Donald Trump

This candidate profile was compiled from publicly available sources, including the candidate's campaign website, Wikipedia and BallotReady. Policy positions attributed to the candidate reflect his own statements. The Norman Chronicle did not interview the candidate for this profile.