James Lankford
James Lankford | |
|---|---|
| United States Representative-elect from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district | |
| Assuming office January 2011 | |
| Succeeding | Mary Fallin |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Cindy Lankford[1] |
| Alma mater | University of Texas (B.S.) Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.) |
| Profession | Youth camp director |
James Lankford is the U.S. Representative-elect for Oklahoma's 5th congressional district.[2] He is a member of the Republican Party.
From 1996-2009 he was the student ministries and evangelism specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, and was director of the Falls Creek youth programing at the Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center in Davis, Oklahoma. Falls Creek is the largest Christian camp in the United States,[citation needed] and the oldest Christian camp in Oklahoma. He stepped down on September 1, 2009 to run for Congress.
Early life and education
Lankford was born in Dallas, Texas. His mother was a public school librarian and homemaker. His father is a Vietnam veteran and retired engineer. Some of his grandparents owned a small dry cleaning business. His ancestors were dairy farmers. James’ stepfather was a Navy veteran and a career employee of AC Delco, the parts division of General Motors.
He attended the University of Texas, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education. He then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and received a master’s degree in Divinity.
Professional career
After graduating, he moved to Edmond and served with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. He became the Director of Falls Creek, the largest Christian camp in the U.S. with over 51,000 people attending in 2009.[citation needed]
He is a member of the Heritage Foundation, Deer Creek Chamber of Commerce, Edmond Chamber of Commerce, South Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Chamber of Commerce, and the NRA.
2010 run for U.S. Congress
Primary
Lankford defeated former State Rep. Kevin Calvey in the run off.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James Lankford | 18,755 | 33.6 | |
| Republican | Kevin Calvey | 18,143 | 32.5 | |
| Republican | Mike Thompson | 10,007 | 17.9 | |
| Republican | Harry Johnson | 686 | 1.2 | |
| Republican | Rick Flanigan | 762 | 1.4 | |
| Republican | Johnny Roy | 1,548 | 2.8 | |
| Republican | Shane Jett | 5,955 | 10.7 | |
| Total votes | 100 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James Lankford | 29,814 | 65.2 | |
| Republican | Kevin Calvey | 15,899 | 32.7 | |
| Total votes | 100 | |||
General election
Lankford defeated Billy Coyle.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James Lankford | 123,223 | 62.53 | |
| Democratic | Billy Coyle | 68,060 | 34.53 | |
| Libertarian | Clark Duffe | 3,066 | 1.56 | |
| Independent | Dave White | 2,728 | 1.38 | |
| Total votes | 100 | |||
Personal life
Lankford has been married to his wife, Cindy, for 18 years. Cindy is a Speech-Language Pathologist. They have two daughters: Hannah (13) and Jordan (10).
References
- ^ a b Ryan, John (October 27, 2010). "James Lankford (R)". National Journal.
- ^ Casteel, Chris (November 3, 2010). "Oklahoma elections: Republican James Lankford wins race to succeed Mary Fallin". The Oklahoman.
External links
- James Lankford for Congress official campaign site
- Listing at Project Vote Smart