John R. Bennett

John R. Bennett is an American politician who served as the chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party from April 2021 to April 2022 and as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2011 until 2019.

Bennett has been a controversial member of the Oklahoma Republican Party. He has been criticized for anti-Muslim comments, He is a Christian of the Pentecostal denomination.

Politics Oklahoma House of Representatives Bennett was first elected to the Oklahoma Legislature in 2011. He served in the 53rd Oklahoma Legislature, 54th Oklahoma Legislature, 55th Oklahoma Legislature, and the 56th Oklahoma Legislature before retiring in 2019.

54th Legislature In 2013, Bennett helped create the "counter-terrorism legislative caucus" and worked with Frank Gaffney and his Center for Security Policy (CSP) to try to "ban any foreign law that may limit Oklahomans' constitutional rights". The law was seen as an attempt to ban Sharia Law. The law was denounced by both the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)'s Oklahoma affiliate and the Oklahoma American Civil Liberties Union. Bennett was later given the "National Defender of Freedom" award by the CSP in 2016. The CSP is a Southern Poverty Law Center designated "hate group".

At a 2014 event with constituents in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, Bennett referred to Islam as "a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out" and claimed that there is "[no] difference between moderate and radical Islam."

Later that year, Bennett was the author of successful legislation to require school districts to require schools to provide the same access to school facilities for religious groups as it does for other groups and allow the students to organize prayer groups.

55th Oklahoma Legislature In 2016, Bennett campaigned on introducing legislation to ban the CAIR from Oklahoma calling them a "terrorist organization."

56th Oklahoma Legislature In March 2017, during CAIR's third annual Oklahoma "Muslim Day" at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City, Bennett gave a questionnaire to three Muslim students who came to meet him. The questionnaire said: "The Koran, the sunna of Mohammed and Sharia Law of all schools say that the husband can beat his wife. Do you beat your wife?" According to CAIR, this questionnaire "intentionally misinterpreted ideas [from the Koran] to try to slander Muslims." The survey was written by ACT for America.

Later that year, during debate on a proposal to increase taxes on oil and gas producers to fund services, Bennett said, regarding state agencies' reports that budget cuts would lead to service cuts: "That's terrorism. We should not be negotiating with terrorists, period. These agencies are using our citizens as pawns." Bennett also asserted that state agencies would later "threaten to extort money from us again." The "terrorist" agency that he was referring to provides long-term care to individuals with intellectual disabilities, services to elderly Americans, as well as those who are living in poverty. Then-Governor Mary Fallin called the statement "unacceptable" a part of the counter-jihad movement.

Chairman of Oklahoma Republican Party On April 10, 2021, John Bennett was elected chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party. Bennett's election was considered controversial due to the Islamophobic remarks and coverage he had made during his tenure in the legislature. CAIR-Oklahoma executive director Adam Soltani said that Bennett told him all mosques in Oklahoma are "jihadi training grounds" and that Bennett personally accused him of being "one of the biggest terrorists in Oklahoma." Bennett also criticized another fellow Republican, U.S. Representative Stephanie Bice, for voting to create a January 6 commission to investigate the 2021 United States Capitol attack.

2022 congressional campaign In 2022, Bennett ran for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district in a 14 candidate Republican primary. He resigned as the Chair of the Oklahoma Republican Party on April 30, 2022, to focus on his campaign. Bennett's candidacy for the 2nd congressional district was denounced by the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Muscogee) in Oklahoma for his support of disestablishing their reservations. The tribes stated in a united letter "Candidates who seek to restrict our rights and disestablish our reservations, after the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed twice that they have always existed, do not deserve to represent our state." Cherokee Nation chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said "His anti-Indian views — calling for the destruction of our reservations — reflect a 19th century mindset." During his campaign, Bennett called for US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci to be executed by a firing squad. He placed fourth in the primary.

Electoral history 2010 John Bennett ran unopposed in the Republican Primary.

2012 John Bennett ran unopposed in the Republican Primary.

2014 John Bennett ran unopposed in the Republican Primary and General Election

2016 John Bennett ran unopposed in the Republican Primary.

2022