Jackson Lahmeyer dropped out of the Oklahoma House runoff on June 17, just one day after advancing from the Republican primary for the state’s 1st Congressional District, citing the distraction caused by a texting scandal involving inappropriate messages to a woman other than his wife.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Lahmeyer said, “After prayerful consideration with my wife, Kendra, and my team over the last twenty-four hours, I’ve made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for Congress.” He added that he did not want to be “a distraction to my family, my church, and the great people of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District.”
The announcement came days after reports surfaced of text messages between Lahmeyer and a former Miss Oklahoma USA who had worked on his campaign as a fundraiser. The Daily Mail published the story on Sunday, June 15, but News On 6 had independently received the same messages on June 12. According to News On 6, the text messages showed Lahmeyer complimenting the woman’s body, sending selfies, and expressing a desire to see her in person.
Lahmeyer, a Tulsa pastor and founder of Pastors for Trump, initially acknowledged the messages on Monday, posting on social media that he “own[s] crossing a boundary line through text messaging” and stating the matter “was already dealt with privately” between him and his wife “through counsel and prayer with God and spiritual advisors.” Despite the controversy, he advanced to the August 25 runoff on June 16 with 25.9 percent of the vote (18,676 votes), finishing second to state Representative Mark Tedford’s 32.2 percent (23,217 votes).
The texting scandal proved politically damaging in the hours following the primary. President Trump, who had endorsed Lahmeyer in May and called him a “MAGA Warrior,” withdrew his endorsement on June 17 and threw his support behind Tedford instead. With Lahmeyer’s withdrawal, Tedford advances automatically to the general election and will face Democrat John Croissant, a Tulsa Public Schools board member, in November.
Lahmeyer’s exit marks a swift reversal for a candidate who had been favored in the race since receiving Trump’s endorsement. The pastor had previously run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate against incumbent James Lankford in 2022. His campaign had also faced scrutiny over allegations that his church violated IRS rules and that his Pastors for Trump nonprofit organization was never properly incorporated, according to reporting by The Frontier.
Sources
- News On 6 — Lahmeyer’s statement dropping out, details of text messages, and Trump’s endorsement withdrawal
- The Oklahoman — Lahmeyer’s acknowledgment of “crossing a boundary line” through text messages
- NonDoc — Primary election results showing Lahmeyer’s second-place finish with 25.9 percent and Tedford’s 32.2 percent, Lahmeyer’s post-primary statement
