House speaker-designate moves closer to filling leadership post

T.W. Shannon will be the first black person to serve as Speaker of the House. He will become speaker-elect during a meeting Thursday of the House Republican caucus.

 
By Michael McNutt | Published: November 8, 2012    Comment on this article Leave a comment

photo - Representative Aaron Stiles speaks at an Oklahoma Public Employees Association rally at the state Capitol , February 21 , 2011.   Photo by David McDaniel, The Oklahoman  ORG XMIT: KOD
Representative Aaron Stiles speaks at an Oklahoma Public Employees Association rally at the state Capitol , February 21 , 2011. Photo by David McDaniel, The Oklahoman ORG XMIT: KOD

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Shannon, 34, will officially become speaker in January during an organizational meeting of the House. The four-month session begins in early February.

He downplayed the historic significance of his becoming speaker.

“I'm also part Chickasaw and the real story is a Chickasaw getting elected in Comanche territory,” Shannon joked.

Shannon said he is proud of his heritage, but that's not his focus.

“I ran as a conservative and that's why I got elected, not because of what I look like,” he said. “It's not the deciding factor of how I vote. It's part of who I am.”

MICHAEL MCNUTT

Capitol Bureau

mmcnutt@opubco.com