Terry O'Donnell

Terry O'Donnell (born November 1, 1963) is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party who served as the Oklahoma House Representative for the 23rd district from January 8, 2013, to November 20, 2024. He first won elected office in the 2012 Oklahoma state elections. but later rejoined House Republican leadership in 2023 as majority whip, "a position that involves coordinating the teams of legislators that whip vote counts ahead of key bills."

Legislative career O'Donnell was first elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in the 2012 Oklahoma state elections to represent district 23. O'Donnell is from Catoosa, Oklahoma. He will be term limited from the Oklahoma State Legislature in 2024.

2016 election The Tulsa World endorsed O'Donnell in his 2016 re-election bid.

56th Oklahoma legislature In 2018, during the second session of the 56th Oklahoma Legislature, O'Donnell supported multiple bills to loosen the regulation of tag agencies. He voted in favor of both HB 3278 and SB 1439. HB 3278 allowed a tag agent to submit a letter of resignation "contingent on the appointment" of a specific replacement. SB 1439 removed the requirement that the Oklahoma Tax Commission interview all applicants for tag agent positions.

2020 election In August 2019, the Oklahoma Tax Commission appointed O'Donnell's wife, Teresa O'Donnell, to succeed her mother as the head of the Catoosa Tag Agency. During the election, Oklahoma City Democratic State Representative Collin Walke criticized O'Donnell tag agency reforms saying "The timing of Rep. O’Donnell’s legislation in connection with the timing of the transfer of his mother-in-law’s tag agency to his wife smacks of self-dealing; and at best, created an appearance of impropriety that should have kept Rep. O’Donnell from running the bill in the first place." He resigned from leadership before the second session of the 58th Oklahoma legislature after being indicted.

59th Oklahoma Legislature In 2023, Democratic lawmakers called "for Republican lawmakers to be held accountable" after O'Donnell, Ryan Martinez, and Dean Davis all had trouble with the law This came after the March 2023 censure of Representative Maureen Turner for sheltering someone wanted by the police in their office.

In June 2023, he endorsed Ron DeSantis for the 2024 presidential election.

60th Oklahoma Legislature In 2024, he voted in favor of a bill that would require adults to present identification before accessing porn sites.

Grand Jury Investigation In December 2021, Terry O'Donnell was indicted on charges related to a 2019 tag agency bill he authored.

In February 2023, Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office took control of the corruption case against O'Donnell from the newly elected Oklahoma County district attorney Vicki Behenna's office. In April, Drummond's office dismissed the charges against O'Donnell saying he was "guilty," but politically targeted for prosecution.