Rick West sworn in to serve fourth term

Rick West sworn in

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener, on Tuesday was sworn in to serve his fourth term in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

“It’s an honor to serve the constituents of House District 3,” West said. “I told them if they elected me I would always shoot straight with them and do my very best to represent their interests. I trust they’ve found me true to my word.”

West was first elected to the House in 2016. After taking a break from the Legislature, he was reelected in 2020 and again in 2022. He did not draw an opponent this election cycle and begins another two-year term to serve in the 60th Oklahoma Legislature, which runs through November 2026. 

He joins 100 other members of the House – 80 other Republicans and 20 Democrats. There are 17 new representatives this year, 14 of those are Republicans, and 84 returning members.

A resident of LeFlore County for more than 40 years, West said he knows firsthand the challenges faced by residents in his district.

“People need good jobs, decent roads, schools that serve the needs of students and their parents, public safety services and access to health care, but most of all they need freedom from the overreach of government,” West said. “They want their rights protected – from their personal property rights to their Second Amendment protections, and more.”  

West is a lifelong small-government conservative who values the right to life and the traditional family. He’s been outspoken in his opposition to new rural zoning and intrusion. As a state representative, even under heavy pressure from special interest groups and other legislators, he’s voted against new taxes and insists government should fund its needs with existing revenues instead of increasing taxes. 

West has promised he will never take lobbyist or Political Action Committee (PAC) money, and he refused to take the 35% pay raise given to legislators in 2019. Instead, he donates the difference to charities in his House district. He’s introduced legislation that would require a vote of the people to increase legislative pay going forward.  

West has begun filing new legislation for the first session of the 60th Legislature, which convenes Feb. 3. He said he’ll soon inform his constituents of the measures he plans to introduce.

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