Clinton, OK — State Rep. Anthony Moore (R-Clinton), the Speaker Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma House, says he will run for another term in 2026.
Moore has represented House District 57 since 2020. The district includes Custer, Roger Mills, and Beckham counties. In 2024, House members elected him Speaker Pro Tempore, the chamber’s second-highest leadership post.
Moore said the decision followed the same two-year family check-in he and his wife, Rachel, set when he first ran. “We’re not signing up for 12, we’re signing up for 2,” Moore said. “Every two years we sit down as a family, kids involved, and talk through the pros and cons. They’re old enough now to feel it when I miss ball games or events, but they also see the good being done and want me to keep serving.”
He announced his intentions after a campaign kickoff last week. “It was a full house with folks from all over western Oklahoma,” he said. “Fundraising isn’t the fun part, but the support across the district felt strong.”
Moore said his priorities will remain energy, property rights, and education. “Oil and gas will stay high on the list, energy in general, and property rights,” he said. “On education, I jumped deeper into policy last year. Nobody’s an island, but we did some good things, and there’s more to do to change outcomes for kids and keep investing in rural western Oklahoma so our kids stay here.”
The leadership role adds momentum, he said, but he framed the choice around completing unfinished work. “Being elected Speaker Pro Tem a year ago, it would be hard to walk away,” Moore said. “There are things we still need to get done. This will be my fourth campaign, technically the downhill side of a 12-year term limit. I want to be intentional with whatever time remains, whether that’s 8, 10, or 12 years.”
Moore acknowledged the strain that Capitol duties put on family time. “It’s a juggling act,” he said. “The first six years went fast. In the next six, I’ll have two kids out of the house. I try to be intentional about when I’m gone and when I’m home, and to do it safely without living on the road half-asleep.”
Asked what past campaigns taught him, Moore pointed to constituent contact. “If you’re not plugged in, you’re susceptible,” he said. “You’ve got to be responsive, communicate, and be present. I tell people if I’m twice the communicator, I can be half the legislator and folks will still be happy. People email and I reply. Even if someone isn’t in my district, I try to help. It’s sad when they say I’m the only one who wrote back.”
Moore said he spends time in all three counties and gives residents direct ways to reach him. “Even if I’m not in Sayre every week, everyone has my cell and office number and knows I’ll respond,” he said. “This job is about people. You have to love the people and love the work.”
The 2026 election cycle will mark six years since Moore first won the seat in the 2020 general election. “Yesterday was five years from that first election,” he said. “Time moves fast. While you’re in a place to make a difference, you’ve got to really get after it.”
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