Lawton Constitution on Speaker’s Rise and Leadership
Shannon’s political rise began with lessons learned at home
BY KIM MCCONNELL, The Lawton Constitution
February 4, 2013
Growing up in a family and church that emphasized service led T.W. Shannon to the ultimate public service: Politics. Shannon, a 34-yearold Lawton Republican, has been Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives for weeks — he was formally elected to his position in January, but had known since last year that he would be Speaker if Republicans retained their House majority — but today he formally becomes the face of the Oklahoma House when the Legislature opens its 2013 session after Gov. Mary Fallin’s State of the State Address.
It’s a road that began in junior high and picked up steam when Shannon worked as a congressional aide for two Fourth District Congressman before tackling his own political goal: The November 2006 election that allowed him to replace the late Abe Deutschendorf as his hometown’s House representative. “It’s something I’ve always felt led to do, an urging to do,” Shannon said of his decision to become a politician, adding he had examples of public service from which to draw: His father was a school teacher; his mother, a social worker. “The idea of helping people interested me, intrigued me.”
Shannon, who holds a juris doctorate degree from Oklahoma City University, said he evaluated his “skill sets” and decided politics is what he wanted to do with his life. The District 62 House seat was an easy choice.
“It’s the chamber closest to the people,” he said.