Focus Increases On Dark Money Groups

Oklahoma U.S. Senate race turns negative
by Chris Casteel

WASHINGTON — A group backing state Rep. T.W. Shannon in the U.S. Senate race has launched the first negative attack in that race, financing an ad that criticizes U.S. Rep. James Lankford for some budget votes.

The ad, paid for by Oklahomans for a Conservative Future, began airing late last week in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa media markets. Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, suggested the ad was in response to recent ads showing him ahead.

Lankford and Shannon, a Lawton Republican, are the front-runners in the Republican primary to replace U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, who is retiring at the end of the congressional session. The primary is June 24.

Both candidates are supported by so-called dark money groups — ones that don’t reveal their donors — but those groups have run positive ads for the past several weeks.

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