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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Steve Russell (Republican Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2015. He left office on January 3, 2019.

Russell (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.

Russell previously served as a Republican member of the Oklahoma State Senate, representing District 45 from 2008 to 2012.

Russell earned his B.A. in public speaking from Ouachita Baptist University in 1985 and his M.A. in military history from the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1998. Russell served in the United States Army as a lieutenant colonel for 21 years. Russell received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Valorous Unit Award. He also holds Airborne and Ranger qualifications.

Below is an abbreviated outline of Russell's academic, professional, and political career:

  • 2015-2019: U.S. Representative from Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District
  • 2008-2012: Oklahoma State Senate
  • 1985-2006: United States Army
  • 1985: Graduated from Ouachita Baptist University

Prior to entering politics, Russell was an author and small business owner.

Caucuses/Former Committees

Former Member, Armed Services Committee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Education and the Workforce Committee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, United States House of Representatitves

Former Member, Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Information Technology, United States House of Representatitves

Former Member, Subcommittee on Military Personnel, United States House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Subcommittee on National Security Agency and Cybersecurity, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Readiness, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on the Interior, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, United States House of Representatives

Education

  • MA, History, Command and General Staff College, 1997-1998
  • BA, Public Speaking, Ouachita Baptist University, 1981-1985

Professional Experience

  • MA, History, Command and General Staff College, 1997-1998
  • BA, Public Speaking, Ouachita Baptist University, 1981-1985
  • President/Founder, Two River Arms, 2010-present
  • Motivational and Professional Speaker, Premiere Speakers Bureau, 2007-present
  • Military Advisor, Concerned Veterans for America, 2012-2014
  • Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army, 1985-2006

Political Experience

  • MA, History, Command and General Staff College, 1997-1998
  • BA, Public Speaking, Ouachita Baptist University, 1981-1985
  • President/Founder, Two River Arms, 2010-present
  • Motivational and Professional Speaker, Premiere Speakers Bureau, 2007-present
  • Military Advisor, Concerned Veterans for America, 2012-2014
  • Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army, 1985-2006
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2014-2019
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2018
  • Senator, Oklahoma State Senate, District 45, 2008-2012

Former Committees/Caucuses

Former Member, Armed Services Committee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Education and the Workforce Committee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, United States House of Representatitves

Former Member, Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Information Technology, United States House of Representatitves

Former Member, Subcommittee on Military Personnel, United States House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Subcommittee on National Security Agency and Cybersecurity, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Readiness, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on the Interior, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, United States House of Representatives

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • MA, History, Command and General Staff College, 1997-1998
  • BA, Public Speaking, Ouachita Baptist University, 1981-1985
  • President/Founder, Two River Arms, 2010-present
  • Motivational and Professional Speaker, Premiere Speakers Bureau, 2007-present
  • Military Advisor, Concerned Veterans for America, 2012-2014
  • Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army, 1985-2006
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2014-2019
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2018
  • Senator, Oklahoma State Senate, District 45, 2008-2012
  • Sunday School Teacher, First Southern Baptist Church, present
  • Founder/Chair, Veterans for Victory, present
  • Former Senior Class President, Del City High School

Other Info

— Awards:

  • Combat Infantry Badge, United States Army; Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, United States Army; Legion of Merit, United States Army; Army Scholarship, Ouachita Baptist University; "Most Likely to Succeed", Del City High School; Oak Leaf Cluster, United States Army

— Publications:

  • Author: "We Got Him! A Memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein"

Policy Positions

2021

Abortion

Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- No

Campaign Finance

Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Unknown Position

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

Education

Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- No

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- No

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No

Guns

Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No

Health Care

Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- Yes

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Unknown Position

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- Yes

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- Yes

Congress Bills
Elections

2018

General election
General election for U.S. House Oklahoma District 5

Kendra Horn defeated incumbent Steve Russell in the general election for U.S. House Oklahoma District 5 on November 6, 2018.

Kendra Horn (D)
50.7%
121,149 Votes

Steve Russell (R)
49.3%
117,811 Votes

Total votes: 238,960
(100.00% precincts reporting)

Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Oklahoma District 5

Kendra Horn defeated Tom Guild in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Oklahoma District 5 on August 28, 2018.

Kendra Horn
75.8%
22,067 Votes

Tom Guild
24.2%
7,043 Votes

Total votes: 29,110

Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Oklahoma District 5

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Oklahoma District 5 on June 26, 2018.

Kendra Horn
44.2%
34,892 Votes

Tom Guild
18.0%
14,251 Votes

Elysabeth Britt
13.6%
10,752 Votes

Eddie Porter
9.9%
7,844 Votes

Leona Kelley-Leonard
8.5%
6,697 Votes

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Tyson Todd Meade
5.7%
4,530 Votes

Total votes: 78,966

Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Oklahoma District 5

Incumbent Steve Russell defeated Gregory Dunson and DeJuan Edwards in the Republican primary for U.S. House Oklahoma District 5 on June 26, 2018.

Steve Russell
83.6%
66,030 Votes

Silhouette Placeholder Image.png

Gregory Dunson
9.7%
7,642 Votes

Silhouette Placeholder Image.png

DeJuan Edwards
6.7%
5,290 Votes

Total votes: 78,962


2016

rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Steve Russell (R) defeated Al McAffrey (D) and Zachary Knight (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Russell defeated Frank Volpe in the Republican primary. McAffrey defeated Tom Guild in the Democratic primary runoff on August 23, 2016. Guild and McAffrey had previously defeated Leona Leonard in the Democratic primary. The primary elections took place on June 28, 2016.

U.S. House, Oklahoma District 5 General Election, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Russell Incumbent 57.1% 160,184
Democratic Al McAffrey 36.8% 103,273
Libertarian Zachary Knight 6.1% 17,113
Total Votes 280,570
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board

U.S. House, Oklahoma, District 5 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Russell Incumbent 80.3% 27,436
Frank Volpe 19.7% 6,721
Total Votes 34,157
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board

U.S. House, Oklahoma, District 5 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngAl McAffrey 36.8% 10,013
Green check mark transparent.pngTom Guild 36.8% 10,000
Leona Leonard 26.4% 7,190
Total Votes 27,203
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board

U.S. House, Oklahoma, District 5 Democratic Runoff Primary, 2016

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngAl McAffrey 50.1% 8,032
Tom Guild 49.9% 7,988
Total Votes 16,020
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board

Campaign themes

The following issues were listed on Russell's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, .

  • Economy: The Federal Government does not have a revenue problem; it has a severe spending problem. We cannot find a solution to our economic uncertainty through higher taxation. Historically, we know as a nation that when we choose to increase taxes on families and businesses during recessions, it has stifled growth.
  • National Debt: Americans from both sides of the aisle know we are facing a crisis due to our accumulation of debt, but very few know how indebted we have truly become.
  • Obamacare: The real problem with Obamacare extends far beyond website glitches and security breaches. Congress and the President are forcing each of us - for the first time in our nation’s history - to buy a government product or face a financial penalty.
  • Virtue: Virtue is perhaps our most important and least appreciated principle of government. Our Constitution provides that our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are God-given. By attempting to remove God from our society, we are declaring that it is the government who gives us our rights. If we permit government the ‘power’ to grant us our rights, government will also have the power to take them away.
  • Constitution: Since entering the service at 18, I have pledged to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, even with my life. The people are the strength of our nation, not the government. In a free society, people do not require constitutional authority to act - government does.

—Steve Russell's campaign website, http://www.steverussellforcongress.com/home.html

2014

In 2014, Russell won election to the U.S. House to represent Oklahoma's 5th District. Russell and Patrice Douglas were the highest vote recipients in the Republican primary on June 24, 2014. They defeated Harvey Sparks, state Rep. Mike Turner, state Sen. Clark Jolley and Shane Jett. Russell then defeated Douglas in the August 26, 2014, Republican runoff. Russell defeated Al McAffrey (D) and independent candidates Buddy Ray, Tom Boggs and Robert Murphy in the general election. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, Oklahoma District 5 General Election, 2014

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Russell 60.1% 95,632
Democratic Al McAffrey 36.3% 57,790
Independent Buddy Ray 0.9% 1,470
Independent Tom Boggs 1.3% 2,065
Independent Robert Murphy 1.4% 2,176
Total Votes 159,133
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board

U.S. House, Oklahoma District 5 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Russell 26.6% 14,597
Green check mark transparent.pngPatrice Douglas 24.5% 13,440
Clark Jolley 16.8% 9,226
Mike Turner 14.1% 7,757
Shane Jett 12.8% 7,019
Harvey Sparks 5.3% 2,895
Total Votes 54,934
Source: Results via Associated Press

U.S. House, Oklahoma District 5 Runoff Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Russell 59.3% 19,371
Patrice Douglas 40.7% 13,315
Total Votes 32,686
Source: Results via Associated Press

Media

Steve Russell, "Change Washington."

2012

Russell did not run for re-election in 2012.

2008

Russell won election to the Oklahoma State Senate, District 45. He raised $173,769 for this campaign, in which he defeated four primary opponents and ran unopposed in the general election.

Endorsements
Maj. General Rita Aragon, Oklahoma Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs
State Auditor & Inspector Gary Jones
Speeches
Articles

Insurance News Net - "Obamacare Fails Oklahomans"

Jan. 13, 2017

By Reps. Frank Lucas, Tom Cole, Jim Bridenstine, Markwayne Mullin, and Steve Russell Obamacare has failed Americans all across the nation. But Oklahoma in particular is a case study for its failure and the negative impact on insured individuals. As a state that saw 2017 premiums increase an average of 76 percent and as one of only five states with just one insurer participating in the federal exchange, you could argue that Oklahoma has been hit the hardest by Obama's failed health care policy. All five of our congressional districts have constituents who are adversely impacted by Obamacare. A small business owner in Oklahoma City believes that Obamacare is negatively impacting his business. Graciously, he has always paid for half of his employee's health insurance premiums. In three years under Obamacare, this employer's out of pocket expenses have more than doubled. Obamacare has given him two choices: drop the health insurance benefit and potentially lose quality employees, or go out of business. A mother of three was an accountant before quitting to raise her family and help her husband start his small business, so when Obamacare came along, she knew how to analyze their options. She made the rational decision to pay the fines, save the value of premiums and high deductibles, and effectively self-insure. Under Obamacare, she became uninsured, and she will be thousands of dollars ahead -- as long as she avoids catastrophic illness. After celebrating a successful harvest, a cotton farming family in southwest Oklahoma was shocked when they learned their health insurance premiums would nearly double under Obamacare. All of their concerns about issues like EPA's Waters of the U.S. rule or the continuation of certain Farm Bill provisions suddenly paled in comparison to Obamacare. They're now worried that the sudden spike in expenses for their family, not to mention a $6,000 deductible, threatens the future of their farming operation. One couple in rural Oklahoma was forced to sell their small business a few years ago due to the husband's sharp decline in health. When they signed up for Obamacare, the most affordable option was a $6,000 deductible and a $1,200 copay. Even worse, the prescriptions they need to fill are "Tier 4," the section that has the highest copay. All doctors and hospitals under their plan are far from their home and it is almost impossible to schedule a timely appointment with a doctor when they find themselves ill. A Southern Baptist pastor in eastern Oklahoma is well taken care of by his church, except they do not provide health insurance. His family's previous health care plan was cancelled in December, so he used Healthcare.gov, which failed to function properly, and was left with a plan that more than tripled their premium. A steadfast believer, the pastor is left with only the belief that God will provide for his pregnant wife, two year old son, and the baby on the way. Sadly, these stories represent only a sliver of the number of Oklahomans feeling the ill effects of Obamacare. More and more Oklahomans are grappling with the crippling consequences of a failed health care law that is anything but affordable. It doesn't take long to find a neighbor, a friend, or a community member who is suffering the ill effects of Obamacare. More than 4.7 million Americans were kicked off their health care plan after being promised that they could keep it. Sixty percent of Americans have seen an increase in their deductibles in addition to the average 22 percent increase in their 2017 premiums. The burden Obamacare placed on families, employers, and individuals never seems to end. Thankfully, House Republicans want to make sure the Obamacare buck stops here. Our goal is to bring the American people more choices and lower costs, without mandating your plan or your coverage. By opening a free market to encourage competing plans and options, Americans can return once again to a health care market that provides access to affordable and reliable health insurance for Americans everywhere, particularly in our home state of Oklahoma.