Jackson Lahmeyer, a Republican pastor who on Tuesday night advanced to a runoff election in Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, dropped out of the race after President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement and backed his opponent, state Rep. Mark Tedford.
“After prayerful consideration with my wife, Kendra, and my team over the last twenty four hours, I’ve made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for Congress,” Lahmeyer said in a statement. “I do not want to be a distraction to my family, my church, and the great people of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, who deserve a strong conservative voice representing them in Washington.”
The statement came minutes after Trump, in a post on Truth Social , thanked Lahmeyer for his “hard work under difficult circumstances,” but added, “when it comes to the current Congressional race for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, I will be supporting America First Patriot, Mark Tedford. Mark is Pro Trump and MAGA all the way!”
The president’s endorsement change and Lahmeyer’s decision to drop out came after last-minute allegations surfaced that the Oklahoma pastor had previously exchanged inappropriate text messages with a woman who was not his wife.
A series of reports over the last few days in The Daily Mail quotes Caitlin Simmons Key, a former Miss Oklahoma USA, who said she worked on Lahmeyer’s campaign, claiming that she and Lahmeyer exchanged suggestive text messages, including one in which the candidate told her “I enjoyed those lips.”
Lahmeyer vaguely addressed the allegations in a post on social media over the weekend, saying that “this matter was already dealt with privately between me and my wife,” adding “I own crossing a boundary line through text messaging. I also ended all communication. The British Tabloid tried to paint me out in a way which is not the case.”
He went on to suggest that the “political establishment who oppose my America First Candidacy” could “attempt to make more of this than it is.”
Trump first endorsed Lahmeyer, who founded a “Pastors for Trump” group, in a Truth Social post on Sunday , calling him a “MAGA warrior.”
Lahmeyer’s decision to drop out of the race clears the way for Tedford to win the GOP nomination in this heavily Republican district. Prior to Lahmeyer’s withdrawal, Tedford had been endorsed by Oklahoma State House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and others.
The district’s incumbent congressman, GOP Rep. Kevin Hern, on Tuesday won the state’s Republican primary for Senate.
Read the full article at NBC News →📄Source document: Daily Mail report→3 reports
The Washington TimesIndependentCenter3 days agoJackson Lahmeyer, an Oklahoma megachurch minister and founder of Pastors for Trump, withdrew from a U.S. House runoff election after reports surfaced that he had sent romantic text messages to a woman who is not his wife. Lahmeyer stated he made the decision after consulting with his wife and campaign team. His withdrawal came shortly after President Donald Trump endorsed his opponent, Mark Tedford.
Bias read (Center): The article presents facts without overtly favoring either side. It includes direct quotes from Lahmeyer and mentions Trump's endorsement of his opponent but does not use emotionally charged language or selectively omit context. The framing remains neutral, focusing on the sequence of events and the
NBC NewsIndependentCenter4 days agoRepublican pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, who had advanced to a runoff election in Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District, dropped out of the race after President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement and supported his opponent, state Rep. Mark Tedford. Lahmeyer cited wanting to avoid being a distraction to his family, church, and constituents. Trump endorsed Lahmeyer earlier but later shifted support to Tedford. This followed allegations that Lahmeyer had exchanged inappropriate text messages with a woman who was not his wife, reported by The Daily Mail.
Bias read (Center): The article presents facts without overtly favoring either Lahmeyer or Tedford. It includes direct quotes from both Lahmeyer and Trump, and mentions the allegations against Lahmeyer without taking a stance on their validity. The framing remains neutral, focusing on the sequence of events rather than
Official sources cited
- press release Statement from Jackson Lahmeyer
- press release Truth Social post by Donald Trump
- press release The Daily Mail reports
The New York Times (US)Independent🔒Center4 days agoPresident Trump rescinded his endorsement of right-wing pastor Jackson Lahmeyer after a texting scandal. Lahmeyer had withdrawn from the race for a House seat in Oklahoma following Trump's support for Lahmeyer's Republican rival in a runoff election.
Bias read (Center): The article presents facts without overtly biased language or framing. It reports on an event involving a political figure and a candidate, but does not take a stance or emphasize one side over the other.
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