State Rep. Tom Gann announces bid for third term

Oklahoma State Representative Tom Gann Announces His Run for a Third Term

Oklahoma State Representative Tom Gann, House District 8, announces his run for a third term with the Oklahoma House of Representatives.  First elected in 2016, Gann became one of only two elected state representatives that do not take lobbyist or PAC money.  Gann has remained true to that pledge and will continue to represent the 8th House District by principled voting.

In 2018, Gann served on the House Special Investigative Committee where waste and mismanagement by the Oklahoma Department of Health was exposed.  In 2019, Gann followed up on the audit findings of that committee by co-authoring Senate Bill 316 with Senator Nathan Dahm. Senate Bill 316 requires greater transparency of agencies with regards to state funds and the relationships agencies form with each other.  The bill was signed by Governor Stitt and became law November 1st, 2019.

With the election of Governor Stitt, stronger oversight and accountability was established by the legislature by giving the executive branch authority over key agencies. Gann said, “Governor Stitt’s leadership is changing the culture of State Government from a patronage culture to one of performance.” Recently, Governor Stitt issued an executive order requiring state agencies to reduce regulations by 25%. Gann said, “As Chairman of the Administrative Rules Committee that deals directly with the regulatory code for Oklahoma, I support the initiative to reduce the regulatory burden on business and industry. In House District 8, the emerging industry along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System and in the MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor, could be the first to feel the impact of those reductions.”

A press release on October 19, 2019, from Speaker of the House, Charles McCall, announced the House will be increasing its own efforts at responsible oversight. Speaker McCall has assigned House members to committees to regularly monitor governing boards of more than 36 state agencies.  Speaker McCall said, “The legislature has been too deferential and hands-off with these governing boards for most of state history, and the House is going to change that.”  Gann said, “The initiative of leadership to monitor governing boards of state agencies meets the public’s expectation for elected leaders to perform and assume their rightful role over state agencies.”

“It would be a privilege to continue to represent the voters of the 8th House District.  With your vote and support, I will keep working diligently to reduce the size of and scope of government interference in the lives of Oklahomans.” Gann added.

Tom and Debbie Gann have been married for 41 years. They live on a small acreage in Inola, Oklahoma.  Tom retired from Tulsa International Airport where he served as the Airport Auditor for 10 years. Tom and Debbie have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

The 8th House District covers Wagoner, Rogers and Mayes Counties.