Jackson Lahmeyer, an Oklahoma House candidate backed by Trump, suspended his campaign on Wednesday, shortly after the former president switched his endorsement to another candidate. This decision came after Lahmeyer, a Tulsa pastor, confessed to “crossing a boundary line” by texting a woman who is not his wife.
Trump expressed his appreciation for Lahmeyer’s efforts in challenging conditions, stating, “He has always been with me, and I will always be with him.” However, he shifted his support to state Rep. Mark Tedford, Lahmeyer’s opponent, in a social media post.
The Daily Mail released text messages on Sunday between Lahmeyer and a former Miss Oklahoma pageant winner. Lahmeyer claimed the publication misrepresented the texts but admitted to “crossing a boundary” with them.
In a statement announcing the suspension of his campaign, Lahmeyer expressed his desire not to distract from his family, church, and the residents of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District.
Lahmeyer’s withdrawal from the race effectively allowed Tedford to secure a primary victory, one day after both candidates had advanced to a runoff. Tedford secured 32 percent of the votes, narrowly surpassing Lahmeyer’s 25 percent but not achieving the majority needed for a direct advance to the general election.
Tedford is strongly favored to win in the predominantly Republican district and replace Rep. Kevin Hern, who is pursuing a Senate seat.
Lahmeyer’s decision to end his campaign marks another loss for a Trump-endorsed candidate. In Georgia, businessperson Rick Jackson defeated Trump’s preferred candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, while in Iowa, Rep. Randy Feenstra, Trump’s candidate for governor, lost to businessperson Zach Lahn.
Trump had recently reaffirmed his support for Lahmeyer, commending him as a “MAGA Warrior” and highlighting his role in founding the Pastors for Trump alliance in 2022.
Tedford described himself as a “coalition candidate” capable of uniting different GOP factions. He had the endorsement of state House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and other legislative members. Financially, Tedford held an advantage over Lahmeyer, having self-funded his campaign with $600,000, according to recent campaign finance reports.
Andrew Howard contributed to this report.
