Oklahoma City, OK – State Rep. Anthony Moore of Clinton has been named The State Chamber's 2026 Legislator of the Year, earning recognition for his leadership on legislation aimed at strengthening innovation, research commercialization, and economic growth across Oklahoma.
Moore, who serves as Speaker Pro Tem of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, received the award during The State Chamber's Annual Meeting for his work advancing the organization's Oklahoma Competes agenda. The initiative focuses on workforce development, education outcomes, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the state's long term economic competitiveness.
According to The State Chamber, Moore played a leading role during the 2026 legislative session in advancing policies that improve how research conducted at Oklahoma universities is translated into commercial opportunities, helping create new businesses and jobs.
"The first year of Oklahoma Competes helped us keep our eye on the things that really matter," said Chad Warmington, president and CEO of The State Chamber. "Speaker Pro Tem Moore understood that Oklahoma has to do a better job turning research, ideas, and innovation into companies, jobs, and economic growth."
Lawmakers approved several measures during the session designed to strengthen Oklahoma's innovation economy, including initiatives supporting research and development, university technology transfer, and moving ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace.
"We've got to turn these great research universities into companies and into jobs in Oklahoma," Moore said.
The State Chamber said Moore's leadership has helped position Oklahoma to improve its innovation rankings and better compete with other states for business investment.
Warmington said the accomplishments of the 2026 legislative session represent the beginning of a broader effort to make Oklahoma more competitive.
"This was step one in a much larger journey," Warmington said. "It was data driven, well researched, and focused on the things that move the needle for business and for the state. Speaker Pro Tem Moore helped make that progress possible."
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