Frank Lucas (Oklahoma politician)

Frank Dean Lucas (born January 6, 1960) is an American politician and farmer serving as the U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 3rd congressional district since 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously represented the 6th district from 1994 to 2003, prior to redistricting. His district, which is massively rural, stretches from the Panhandle to the fringes of the Tulsa suburbs, covering almost half of the state's land mass. Lucas became the dean of Oklahoma's congressional delegation in 2023 following the retirement of Senator Jim Inhofe.

Frank Lucas
Chair of the House Science Committee
In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Eddie Bernice Johnson
Succeeded by	Brian Babin
Ranking Member of the House Science Committee
In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Eddie Bernice Johnson
Succeeded by	Zoe Lofgren
Chair of the House Agriculture Committee
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Collin Peterson
Succeeded by	Mike Conaway
Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Bob Goodlatte
Succeeded by	Collin Peterson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma
Incumbent
Assumed office May 10, 1994
Preceded by	Glenn English
Constituency	6th district (1994–2003) 3rd district (2003–present)
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 59th district
In office January 3, 1989 – May 10, 1994
Preceded by	Bert Russell
Succeeded by	Clay Pope
Personal details
Born	Frank Dean Lucas (1960-01-06) January 6, 1960 (age 65) Cheyenne, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Lynda Bradshaw ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	3
Education	Oklahoma State University, Stillwater (BS)
Website	House website Campaign website

United States House of Representatives

Tenure

On April 7, 2014, Lucas introduced the Customer Protection and End User Relief Act (H.R. 4413; 113th Congress) into the House.^[1] The bill would reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission through 2018 and amend some provisions of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.^[2][3]

On January 6, 2021, in the aftermath of the attack on the United States Capitol, Lucas joined 146 other Congressional Republicans in voting against the certification of the 2020 presidential election.^[4]

In 2022, Lucas was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.^[5][6]

Lucas has chaired the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology since 2023.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Agriculture
• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology
• Committee on Science, Space and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Blockchain Caucus^[7]
• Congressional Taiwan Caucus^[8]
• Congressional Western Caucus^[9]
• United States–China Working Group^[10]

Political campaigns

Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas speaks at a town hall meeting held in the Pioneer Technology Center in Ponca City, Oklahoma on September 26, 2011.

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Lucas first ran for the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1984 as a Republican against the incumbent Democrat, narrowly losing. A second attempt in 1986 also fell short, but he won in 1988. He lost in 1990 after the legislature made his district somewhat friendlier to Democrats, but he returned in 1992.

U. S. House of Representatives

In 1994, 6th district Congressman Glenn English stepped down to become a lobbyist for rural electric cooperatives. Lucas won the Republican nomination for the special election on May 10. He faced Dan Webber, press secretary to U.S. Senator David L. Boren. The 6th was already by far the largest in the state, stretching from the Panhandle to the town of Spencer, in the far northeastern Oklahoma City metropolitan area. But the state legislature had redrawn it so that it included many poor Oklahoma City neighborhoods that had never voted Republican. Lucas scored a major upset, winning by eight percentage points and carrying 18 of the district's 24 counties. Some pundits have seen his victory as an early sign of the Republican Revolution that November, when Republicans took control of the House for the first time in 40 years. Lucas won a full term in November with 70% of the vote. He has been reelected seven times, never with less than 59% of the vote, and was unopposed in 2002 and 2004.

Lucas's district was renumbered as the 3rd after Oklahoma lost a district in the 2000 Census. His already vast district was made even larger. He lost most of his share of Oklahoma City, which was home to 60% of the district's population. He once represented much of the downtown area, including the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. He still represents the part of the city in Canadian County. To make up for this large population loss, the 3rd was pushed farther east, picking up several of Tulsa's western suburbs (including a small portion of Tulsa itself) and some rural areas. As a result, his district now includes 48.5% of the state's landmass, and is nearly as large as the state's other four districts combined.

2014 Republican primary

Main article: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Oklahoma § District 3

In the 2014 Republican primary, Lucas won 83% of the vote. 12% went to Robert Hubbard and 5% to Timothy Ray Murray.^[11]

Chair of the Science, Space and Technology committee

After Republicans won the House majority in the 2022 elections, Lucas became chair of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, which has jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development, including NASA, NSF, NIST, and the OSTP.^[12]

Lucas laid out an ambitious agenda for the committee: independence for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a federal program to develop unmanned drones, advances in fusion energy, and research money for institutions other than those on the coasts.^[13]

Frank Lucas (116th Congress)

2024 Republican primary

Main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Oklahoma § District 3

Lucas only drew Republican primary challengers in 2024. He defeated Robyn Lynn Carder and Darren Hamilton in the June primary with 74% of the vote.^[14]

Electoral history

Oklahoma's 6th congressional district: Results 1992–2000^[15]

Year	Democratic	Votes	Pct	Republican	Votes	Pct	3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct
1992	Glenn English *	134,734	68%	Bob Anthony	64,068	32%
1994	Jeffrey S. Tollett	45,399	30%	Frank D. Lucas	106,961	70%
1996	Paul M. Barby	64,173	36%	Frank D. Lucas	113,499	64%
1998	Paul M. Barby	43,555	33%	Frank D. Lucas	85,261	65%	Ralph B. Finkle, Jr.	Independent	2,455	2%
2000	Randy Beutler	63,106	39%	Frank D. Lucas	95,635	59%	Joseph V. Cristiano	Libertarian	2,435	2%

* English resigned mid-term, and Lucas won the special election to succeed him against Democratic opponent Dan Webber.

Oklahoma's 3rd congressional district: Results 2002–2022^[15]

Year	Democratic	Votes	Pct	Republican	Votes	Pct	3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct
2002	(no candidate)			Frank D. Lucas	148,206	76%	Robert T. Murphy	Independent	47,884	24%
2004	(no candidate)			Frank D. Lucas	215,510	82%	Gregory M. Wilson	Independent	46,621	18%
2006	Sue Barton	61,749	33%	Frank D. Lucas	128,042	67%
2008	Frankie Robbins	62,297	24%	Frank D. Lucas	184,306	70%	Forrest Michael	Independent	17,756	7%
2010	Frankie Robbins	45,684	22%	Frank D. Lucas	161,915	78%
2012	Timothy Ray Murray	53,472	20%	Frank D. Lucas	201,744	75%	William M. Sanders	Independent	12,787	5%
2014	Frankie Robbins	36,270	21%	Frank D. Lucas	133,335	79%
2016	Frankie Robbins	63,090	22%	Frank D. Lucas	227,525	78%
2018	Frankie Robbins	61,152	26%	Frank D. Lucas	172,913	74%
2020	Zoe Midyett	66,501	22%	Frank D. Lucas	242,677	78%
2022	Jeremiah Ross	50,354	25%	Frank D. Lucas	147,418	74%

Personal life

Lucas is a fifth-generation Oklahoman; his family has farmed in western Oklahoma for over 100 years. He lives in Cheyenne with his wife, Lynda. They have three children and three grandchildren.^[16][17] In August 2023, Lucas underwent hip surgery after being injured on his ranch.^[18]