Jon Echols

Jon Echols
Official portrait
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
from the 90th district
In office
November 14, 2012 – November 20, 2024
Preceded byCharles Key
Succeeded byEmily Gise
Personal details
Born (1979-12-03) December 3, 1979
PartyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Oklahoma (BA)
Oklahoma City University (JD)

Jon Echols (born December 3, 1979) is an American politician who served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives representing the 90th district from 2012 to 2024. He was the Majority Floor Leader. In February 2025, Echols announced his candidacy for Oklahoma Attorney General.

Early life, education, and career

John Echols grew up in Oklahoma City.[1] His mother was an attorney and special education teacher, while his father, David Echols, is an attorney and a member of the Oklahoma City Community College Board of Regenets.[2] He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in political science and graduated at the top of his class from Oklahoma City University School of Law with a Juris Doctor.[3]

Echols co-founded Turn Key Health Clinics in 2009 and is the company's president.[2] Echols has said that "he works for the company’s CEO mostly outside of Oklahoma to minimize perceived conflicts of interest."[4][5][2]

Echols worked at the law firm Crowe and Dunlevy in Oklahoma City before joining his family’s law firm, Echols & Associates.[2][6]

As a private attorney, Echols entered an appearance on behalf of the Oklahoma Republican Party in federal court to defend President Trump from an attempt to remove him from the Presidential ballot in Oklahoma in 2024.[7]

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Echols ran for the 90th district of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2012 to succeed Charles Key.[8] He won the election and was reelected until he was term limited in 2024. From 2016 to 2024, he served as the majority floor leader of the house and he holds the record for longest serving majority leader.[2]

Tenure

Echols received the 2015 Distinguished Service Award for Higher Education from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the Council of College and University Presidents.[1] He would go on to receive the award in 2020 and 2021 as well.[9][10]

In 2016, Echols asked Sheriff Vic Regalado's office to change a bid requirement on a medical contract for the Tulsa County jail so his company, Turn Key Health Clinic, could bid. Echols said he asked for the change so that in-county companies would have a fair opportunity to make bids.[11]

In 2019, Echols was the House author of House Bill 2597, also known as “Constitutional Carry,” and successfully led efforts to get it passed and signed.[12][13] In 2019, as Floor Leader, Echols ran the bill on the House floor which created the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT).[14] LOFT provides oversight of state agencies to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.[15]

In 2023, Echols was the House author on Senate Bill 840 (co-authored by Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada), a bill that "deals with name, image, likeness — the new endorsements phenomenon known as NIL." Echols marked it as "high-priority."[16] In 2023, as Floor Leader, Echols supported and ran legislation to ban transgender surgeries on minors in the state of Oklahoma.[17]

In October 2023, Echols voiced support for Israel in the Gaza war, calling Hamas a terrorist organization and saying that Israel is in its rights to "wipe" Hamas out, but pointing out that Hamas is "not our Muslim brothers and sisters"and differentiating between Hamas and Palestinian civilians in Gaza.[18]

In 2024, Echols introduced House Bill 4156, a state immigration law creating the crime of "impermissible occupation." Attorney General Gentner Drummond helped draft the bill.[19]

In 2024, Echols was the House author to the Senate Bill co-authored by Greg Treat for the Oklahoma Survivors Act.[20][21][22][23] Oklahoma was the first republican-led Southern state to pass survivor justice act legislation.[24]

2026 attorney general campaign

Further information: 2026 Oklahoma elections

On February 26, 2025, Echols officially launched a campaign for Attorney General of Oklahoma.[25] He made an official announcement for his campaign in February 2025.[26][25]

Personal life

Jon and his wife, Kristen, have three children together.[3] Jon and his family attend Capitol Hill Baptist Church in OKC.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Representative Jon Echols honored for his support of Higher Ed". occc.edu. Oklahoma City Community College. February 6, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hancock, Andrea (February 26, 2025). "Former House Rep. Jon Echols announces bid for AG". NonDoc. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Representative Jon Echols". Oklahoma House of Representatives. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  4. ^ Bryen, Whitney (February 22, 2023). "Oklahoma sheriff, jail health care provider seek public money to increase staff after two women died". KOSU. Oklahoma Watch. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  5. ^ Stafford, Wayne (February 22, 2023). "Half million dollar proposal seeks more health professionals at Cleveland County jail". KOKH-TV. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  6. ^ "Leadership in Law profile: Jonathan "Jon" D. Echols". The Journal Record. April 26, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  7. ^ "Castro v. Ziriax et al (5:23-cv-00781), Oklahoma Western District Court". www.pacermonitor.com. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  8. ^ Rolland, Megan (April 13, 2012). "Oklahoma County legislative incumbents unchallenged". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  9. ^ "House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols Receives Higher Education Distinguished Service Award". Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. October 14, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "Echols earns Distinguished Service Award". The Journal Record. December 10, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  11. ^ Branstetter, Ziva (July 14, 2016). "Sheriff changed bid requirement after meeting with lawmaker seeking contract". The Frontier. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "Authors of constitutional carry law clarify myths, facts". KOKH. November 1, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  13. ^ "GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT SIGNS LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY IN OKLAHOMA". Governor J. Kevin Stitt. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  14. ^ "Bill Information". www.oklegislature.gov. Archived from the original on October 9, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  15. ^ "Report: Oklahoma state agencies spent billions without oversight". KFOR.com Oklahoma City. April 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  16. ^ Krehbiel, Randy (April 3, 2023). "College athletes' name, image, likeness bill is first Senate measure passed by Oklahoma House". Tulsa World.
  17. ^ "Jon Echols". Oklahoma Legislative Scorecard. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  18. ^ Mitchell, Scott; Dunnington, Jason; Echols, Jon. "Your Vote Counts: Domestic Violence". KOTV-DT. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  19. ^ Ramos, Lionel (April 19, 2024). "Oklahoma's anti-immigration bill inches closer to becoming law; legal challenges expected". KOSU. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  20. ^ McLeod, Morgan (May 25, 2024). "Oklahoma Survivors' Act Overcomes Veto". The Sentencing Project. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  21. ^ Barajas, Michael; Law, Victoria (May 24, 2024). "Oklahoma Gives Incarcerated Survivors of Domestic Violence a New Chance at Freedom". Bolts. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  22. ^ "Former lawmaker, co-author of Oklahoma Survivors' Act thankful for Lisa Moss release". KFOR.com Oklahoma City. January 9, 2025. Archived from the original on January 10, 2025. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  23. ^ "New bill introduced in response to Gov. Stitt veto of Oklahoma Survivors' Act". Yahoo News. May 13, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  24. ^ Rose, Brenna (May 27, 2024). "One-On-One: Ok. Gov. Stitt champions the newly passed domestic violence bill". KTUL. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  25. ^ a b Ramos, Lionel (February 25, 2025). "Former House Rep. Jon Echols files to run for Oklahoma State Attorney General". KGOU. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  26. ^ "Video: Former OK House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols announces run for Attorney General". www.fox23.com. September 23, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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