Jon Echols to run for attorney general in the 2026 election

Yahoo

26-02-2025

Oklahoma City Republican Jon Echols served in the House of Representatives for 12 years. Then he had to retire. Last fall, term limits forced Echols out of his post as majority floor leader, a leadership gig he held for the last eight of those 12 years.
But Echols is far from retirement. In fact, if the next general election goes right, Echols will continue to work for the state for the next four years. This week he's announcing that he will run for attorney general in 2026.
Though his formal announcement is set to be made Wednesday afternoon at Christian Heritage Academy in Del City, Echols sat down with The Oklahoman to talk about why the position of attorney general is important and why he wants to spend another eight years working in state government.
At the Capitol, Echols has often been a key figure in the Republican Caucus. He's helped shape ideas and steer them through the Legislature to become law. He wears the moniker of conservative proudly.
More: Oklahoma's HB 4156: What to know about state's paused immigration law, Trump policies
And while Echols, 45, is seen as easy going and approachable — even by his opponents — he has had his share of controversies.
He was part of Turn Key, the highly criticized company that contracted with cities and towns to provide health care in the state's jails. He also sponsored legislation that made major changes in the health care system, including hospice care in Medicaid coverage.
And, Echols was also part of the leadership team that sponsored the state's anti-immigration bill, House Bill 4156. That bill, which is currently tied up in court, criminalized those in Oklahoma without federal permission "for an impermissible occupation crime."
Echols isn't apologizing for the measures. He said immigration will continue to remain an issue, adding that his goal was "simply to make the state safer."
But now, as a former member of the Legislature, Echols, an attorney by trade, isn't ready to leave state government. He's got plans for the next eight years.
Instead of serving in the House of Representatives, Echols wants to take his experience, his background and yes, even his law degree, out for a spin, so Jon Echols is shifting gears.
"There is a great deal the attorney general can do," Echols said. "There's a civil division and a criminal division and its important to make sure those serve the people of this state."
Though Echols is proud to be labeled a conservative, and he's quick to say he supports the policies of President Donald Trump, Echols will also tout his independence and say his main focus is the law.
During his announcement, Echols released a list of endorsements — from 16 sheriffs across the state, including Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III and Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado.
"My job is to uphold the law," he said. "We can disagree and still get along. But my goal is to help keep this state safe."
A graduate of the Oklahoma City University School of Law, Echols received numerous academic awards and graduated first in his class. He said he wants to take his legal experience and understanding of state government to the office of attorney general.
The goal isn't to run later for governor or a federal office, but he said, to focus on the problems faced now by Oklahomans. "This state has problems that need to be addressed," he said. "I believe the AG's office is the way to do that."
He points to his family background — five generations that go back to the Land Run of 1889 — as part of the reason for serving. Call it family ties with state history.
"My family still owns the ranch they had in 1889 in Okeene," he said. "We love this state, that's why we're here."
With the race for attorney general expected to heat up — even though right now, Echols is the only announced candidate — the debate over what issues the AG's office should tackle quickly continues.
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For Echols, those issues are centered on one big problem: fentanyl.
A synthetic opioid that is about 50 times as potent as heroin, fentanyl has a huge following because it is cheap to manufacture and a small amount goes a long way.
"Fentanyl is a huge problem," Echols said. "And it's something we will hit from day one."
Granted there are other issues, too, he said, that will be priorities. Echols said transparency in government, open records, and the ability to ensure that state funds are spent properly would all be focuses of his tenure if elected.
"Yes, I'm a Republican and I'm a proud conservative," he said. "But I also believe in public service. Once elected you have to serve every Oklahoman — no matter what their politics — and I want to do just that."
The filing period for the 2026 elections will begin in April of 2026.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jon Echols, former state rep., to run for Oklahoma attorney general