James Lankford
RepublicanU.S. Senator, OK| Age | 58 (b. 1968-03-04) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2011-01-05 (~15 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Christian (Southern Baptist; ordained Southern Baptist minister) |
| Education | B.S. in secondary education (speech and history), University of Texas at Austin, 1990; Master of Divinity, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1994 |
| Prior occupation | Southern Baptist youth minister; director of the Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center (youth camp), 1996-2009 |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Dallas, Texas |
| Marital status | Married — Cindy Lankford (née Hennessey) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2010 |
| Previous offices | U.S. Representative, Oklahoma's 5th congressional district (2011-2015) · Chair, House Republican Policy Committee (2013-2015) |
| Committees | Senate Committee on Finance (Chair, Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure) · Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Chair, Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs; member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations) · Senate Select Committee on Ethics (Chair) |
| Caucuses | Senate Taiwan Caucus · Rare Disease Caucus · Congressional Coalition on Adoption |
| Leadership | Vice Chair, Senate Republican Conference (since 2025) · Chair, Senate Select Committee on Ethics (since 2025; previously 2019-2021) · Chair, House Republican Policy Committee (2013-2015) |
| Ideology | Consistently rated among the most conservative members of the Senate; received a 96/100 American Conservative Union rating in 2015 and a 91% ACU rating (8th-highest in Senate) in 2018; 98% Heritage Action scorecard (117th Congress) |
| Signature legislation | Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act (government spending transparency) · Federal Fumbles report (annual wasteful-spending oversight report) · Sunshine Protection Act / 'Lock the Clock' daylight saving time legislation (supporter/sponsor) · Bipartisan 2024 border security agreement (lead Republican negotiator) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $400,000–$1,070,000 (2023) · estimate
| MidFirst Bank deposit account | other · $250,001–$500,000 · 2025 |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) | fund · $50,001–$100,000 · 2025 |
| iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) | fund · $15,001–$50,000 · 2025 |
Top donors: Pro-Israel America PAC ($167,600) · Devon Energy ($24,300 (2011-2012 cycle))
Top industries: Oil & Gas · Retired · Securities & Investment · Leadership PACs · Pro-Israel
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC Administrative Fine — Late 48-Hour Contribution Notices (Families for James Lankford) business
The Lankford campaign committee 'Families for James Lankford' (C00466482) was assessed a $3,010 civil penalty by the FEC under its Administrative Fine Program (Fine #4396) for failing to timely file 48-hour notices for contributions of $1,000 or more totaling $28,500, received in the period from the close of books for the July 2022 Quarterly Report up through 48 hours before the June 28, 2022 Oklahoma primary election. The penalty was paid in full before the November 21, 2022 decision upholding the initial finding.