Cruz Campaign Press Release - Cruz for President Announces Oklahoma Leadership Team

Congressman Jim Bridenstine to Chair Oklahoma Campaign; Joined by Senate Majority Whip Stanislawski and House GOP Caucus Chairman Brumbaugh on Leadership Team

HOUSTON, Texas – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today announced the beginnings of his Oklahoma Leadership Team, which consists of conservative grassroots leaders, veterans, faith and value leaders, and elected officials. The team of courageous conservatives is led by second term Congressman Jim Bridenstine and includes three State Senators as well as seven State Representatives.

On Thursday, Sen. Cruz will visit Oklahoma on his #CruzCountry #CruzToVictory Bus Tour with stops in Oklahoma City, Bartlesville, and Tulsa. The events schedule may be found at www.tedcruz.org/cruzcountry.

"I am honored to join courageous conservatives across the country in my role as the Oklahoma Chairman for Cruz for President. We need a proven conservative candidate who will stand up to Washington and protect our liberties, freedoms, and the Constitution," said Congressman Bridenstine. "Ted Cruz is that man. Our entire leadership team stands with Senator Cruz and is committed to seeing him win the Oklahoma Primary."

"I couldn't be more excited to have the support of such a terrific group of courageous conservatives in the State of Oklahoma," said Sen. Cruz. "Working with and building upon this incredibly strong team, we will compete in and win the Sooner State."

The Cruz for President Oklahoma Leadership Team includes:

Congressman Jim Bridenstine

Elected in 2012, to represent Oklahoma's First District, Jim Bridenstine serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. On April 1st, Bridenstine achieved a remarkable accomplishment and became the first freshman on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee to author and pass legislation this session. Bridenstine's background includes a triple major at Rice University, a MBA from Cornell University, and 9 years active duty in the United States Navy, and he is an Eagle Scout.

State Senator Brian Bingman

Sen. Brian Bingman served as Mayor of Sapulpa from 1992 -2004 and served in the House of Representatives for District 30 from 2004-2006. He was elected to the State Senate in November, 2006. His professional affiliations include the American Association of Petroleum Landmen and the Oklahoma Independent Producers Association. Bingman is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Sapulpa.

State Senator Gary Stanislawski

Sen. Gary Stanislawski has represented District 35 since 2008; he was elected Majority Whip in 2011. Stanislawski is the president of Regent Financial Services, Inc. He is an Air Force veteran and earned his wings as a pilot in 1984. Gary flew for eight years, flying such planes as the B-52 and the B-1 Bomber.

State Senator Anthony Sykes

Sen. Anthony Sykes is the Chair of the Judiciary Committee. He has authored Open Carry legislations and has received an A+ rating for the NRA and a 93% lifetime rating by Conservative Index. He is also a chief Senate strategist in Oklahoma's repeal of Common Core.

Representative David Brumbaugh

Rep. David Brumbaugh is Chairman for the Oklahoma Republican House Caucus — the majority party in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.  Brumbaugh has represented District 76 in the legislature since 2010. Brumbaugh is a former Tulsa City-County Library Commissioner and served on the Legislative and Public Affairs and the Transportation Infrastructure and Communications Committee's for the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce. He is the president and owner of DRB Industries LLC. A patriot and lover of our country, Brumbaugh is a decorated US Army Veteran with the 101st Airborne Division and is a member of the American Legion. David is also a lifelong member of the Republican Party.

Representative David Derby

Rep. David Derby has represented District 74 since 2006. Derby earned his B.S. in Forensic Science from the University of Central Oklahoma. His professional experience includes being a forensic chemist for the Tulsa Police Department.

Pastor/Representative Dan Fisher

Rep. Dan Fisher is a senior pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Yukon, OK. He is also a national leader in the Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment and represents District 60 in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives.

Representative Mark Lepak

Rep. Mark Lepak has represented District 9 since 2014. He has 35 years of business experience in the telecommunications industry and local government experience on the Claremore City Council and the Moore School Board. At AT&T, he lead an organization of 500 employees scattered across four states and managed a budget in excess of $60 million.

Representative Mark McCullough

Since 2006, Rep. Mark McCullough has represented District 30 in the State House of Representatives. The McCulloughs are active members of Sapulpa First Baptist Church. McCullough is also a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, Sapulpa Kiwanis, Creek County Bar Association, and the Sapulpa Parenting Education Program.

Representative Michael Rogers

Rep. Michael Rogers represents District 98; He is a former principal for a private Christian school in Broken Arrow and a former All-American baseball player at Oral Roberts University. After baseball, Michael was hired as the Athletic Director at Summit Christian Academy in Broken Arrow, where he worked tirelessly to transform the Summit Athletic program from a recreation program to one of the best small school programs in the state.

Representative Chuck Strohm

Rep. Chuck Strohm represents District 69. He is a small business owner and served on the Jenks Planning Commission as vice-chair, Jenks Bond Oversight Committee as chair, and is a graduate of Leadership Jenks. Chuck currently serves on the Tulsa County Republican Party Executive Committee. Chuck and his wife Angela have four children.

Representative Ken Walker

Rep. Ken Walker represents District 70; a post he has held since 2012.  He joined the Army at the age of 17 and became an Airborne Paratrooper and is a Desert Storm Veteran. He was stationed with the 3rd Special Forces Group in Ft. Bragg, NC for almost three years as an Interrogator, Intelligence Analyst, and French and Spanish linguist.

Representative Justin Wood

Rep. Justin Wood was born and raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He has represented District 26 since 2012. Wood became one of the youngest Vice-Chairmen in state history when he was appointed by then-Speaker TW Shannon to vice-chair the Higher Education and Career Technology committee. Wood has worked with youth for the majority of his career, as a youth pastor, and as an employee and volunteer with the Shawnee Boys and Girls Club

Tulsa County Assessor Ken Yazel

Ken Yazel is a retired Major, U.S. Marine Corps, who served as a radio operator, parachutist, Vietnamese Interrogator-Translator, Nuclear Artillery Officer, Recruiting Officer, and Financial Management Officer. In 1983, he passed the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam on his first try and worked with Income, Estate, and Gift tax clients along with other business clients.

Wagoner County Clerk Lori Hendricks

Lori Hendricks serves as the County Clerk for Wagoner County. Most recently, she served on the campaign staff for Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. Hendricks has served as Vice President of the Republican Women's Club of Tulsa County and has twice served as the Convention Chair of Wagoner County Republican Party.

Wagoner County Court Clerk Jim Hight

Jim Hight was elected Wagoner County Court Clerk in 2012. He is a retired FBI supervisor withj 33 years of experience.

Wagoner County Assessor Sandy Hodges

Sandy Hodges is a teacher at Metro Christian Academy where she has taught for the past 3 years. She served as the Chairwoman of the Wagoner County Republican Party twice, is a former President of Tulsa Eagle Forum, has served on the State Republican Budget Committee for two years, and is currently our Wagoner County Republican State Committeewoman.

Wagoner County Treasurer Dana Patten

Dana Patten is the Treasurer for Wagoner County and a strong conservative activist.