The Senate Conservatives Fund endorsed T.W. Shannon on Wednesday for Oklahoma Senate.
Shannon, the former speaker of the Oklahoma House, is running for the seat being vacated by Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, who will retire at the end of this congressional session. The other major Republican contender is Oklahoma Rep. James Lankford, who is perceived to be the choice of the so-called establishment. SCF and other conservative groups have not hesitated to make clear their opposition to him.
SCF had originally pushed for another Oklahoma congressman, Rep. Jim Bridenstine, to get in the race, promising to back him. But Bridenstine opted to remain in the House. In lieu of Bridenstine, SCF said in an email to supporters, “T.W. Shannon has stepped forward for conservatives.”
“T.W. Shannon is a constitutional conservative who will fight to stop the massive spending and debt that are bankrupting our country,” SCF Executive Director Matt Hoskins said in a statement. “T.W. Shannon believes in the principles of freedom that make this country great and will stand up to the big spenders in both parties to balance the budget and stop Obamacare. We’re supporting T.W. Shannon because he’s a principled conservative, he has strong grassroots support in Oklahoma, and he can win if Americans come together to support his campaign.”
Shannon is starting to amass support from the conservative wing of the Republican Party: He was endorsed by Sarah Palin, as well as conservative radio host Mark Levin and RedState’s Erick Erickson.