2026 – GOVERNMENT

Thomas Jeffrey Cole is a former educator who has served as the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District since 2003. A Republican, he previously served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1988 to 1991 and as the 26th Secretary of State of Oklahoma from 1995 to 1999. An enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, Cole is the longest-serving Native American in the history of Congress. On April 10, 2024, he was elected chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

Cole was born in Shreveport, LA, and is the son of John D. Cole and Helen Te Ata. His postgraduate degrees include an MA from Yale University and a PhD from the University of Oklahoma, both in British history. He conducted research abroad as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow and was a Fulbright Fellow (1977–1978) at the University of London.

Early in his political career, Cole worked on the staff of U.S. Representative Marvin “Mickey” Edwards of Oklahoma from 1982 to 1984, and later chaired the Oklahoma Republican Party from 1985 to 1989. In 1995, he was appointed Oklahoma Secretary of State by Governor Frank Keating. Cole resigned from Keating’s administration in 1999 when he was asked to become chief of staff for the Republican National Committee, a role he held until 2001.

Since being elected to Congress, Cole has established a conservative voting record in the House. One of his core priorities is educating fellow members of Congress on Native American issues. Throughout his tenure, Cole has been a leading voice for strengthening protections for Native American women under the Violence Against Women Act.