After serving four years in the U.S. House of Representatives, James Lankford was elected to the U.S. Senate to complete an unexpired term on November 4, 2014 and re-elected to a full six-year senate term on November 8, 2016.
As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, Lankford fights unnecessary and burdensome regulation and advocates for a more restrained federal government.
Personal faith, local decision-making, and opportunity for every person, regardless of their background, are core values for Senator Lankford. Before his time in Congress, from 1995 to 2009, James served as Director of Student Ministry at the Baptist Convention of Oklahoma and Director of the Falls Creek Youth Camp, the largest youth camp in the United States, with more than 51,000 individuals attending each summer.
James lives in Edmond with his wife Cindy. They have been married for 25 years and have two daughters: Hannah and Jordan. He enjoys spending time with his family, sport shooting, and reading.
Committee Assignments:
Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Chairman, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
- Subcommittee on Department Homeland Security
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Chairman, Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
James D. Couch was appointed City Manager of the City of Oklahoma City on Nov. 9, 2000.
In the position he serves as the Chief Administrative Officer of the City responsible for the management and day-to-day operation of City government. Oklahoma City is a full-service City with nearly 4,600 employees and a total budget of $1.1 billion.
Mr. Couch serves on the following City-related boards and agencies: Oklahoma City Airport Trust, Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust, Oklahoma City Zoological Trust and the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority. Also, Mr. Couch serves as General Manager of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Schools Trust, which oversees a half-billion dollar construction program, and as General Manager of the Oklahoma City Riverfront Redevelopment Authority and Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust.
Mr. Couch serves on the Downtown Oklahoma City (DOKC) Board of Directors, Allied Arts, Oklahoma Fair Board, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is an ex officio member of the Oklahoma Health Center Foundation. In 2007, he was elected to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials. He currently serves as president of the Oklahoma Municipal League.
Mr. Couch led efforts to ensure Oklahoma City’s long-term access to dependable water sources by securing rights to Canton Lake and Sardis Lake. He also negotiated two agreements with NBA franchises, the temporary relocation of the New Orleans Hornets and permanent relocation of the Thunder, to put Oklahoma City on the international sports stage.
Before his appointment as City Manager, Mr. Couch served as Assistant City Manager/MAPS Director for 2 ½ years and Water/Wastewater Utilities Director for 11 years. In those capacities he served as the General Manager of both the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust and the McGee Creek Authority and was responsible for the Water/Wastewater Utilities budget of $100 million annually, as well as the $390 million Metropolitan Area Projects capital construction program.
Previously, Mr. Couch held positions as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Edmond, Oklahoma; Public Works Director for the City of Casper, Wy.; and, Office Director for Buell, Winter, Mousel and Associates, Consulting Engineers – Omaha, Neb.; Sioux City, Iowa; and Casper, Wy. He received a Bachelor of Science – Civil Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Oklahoma. He received an honorary doctorate in Public Administration from Oklahoma City University in 2016. He and his wife, Cathy, are the parents of two adult sons, Jacob and Joey.