Anthony Sykes
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix=
| image =
| imagesize =
| name = Anthony Sykes
| state_senate = Oklahoma
| state = Oklahoma
| district = 24th
| term_start = 2006
| term_end = 2018
| preceded = Daisy Lawler
| succeeded = Darrell Weaver
| birth_name = Anthony Wade Sykes
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|11|19}}
| birth_place = Newcastle, Oklahoma, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| spouse =
| education = University of Oklahoma (BA, JD)
}}
Anthony Wade Sykes (born November 19, 1972) is a Republican politician from Oklahoma who served as a member of the Oklahoma Senate.
Early life and career
Anthony Sykes graduated from Newcastle High School in Oklahoma in 1991. He went on to attend the University of Oklahoma, and then the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He was an attorney, and served in the Oklahoma National Guard before his entry into politics.{{cite web|title=Anthony Sykes Biography|url=http://www.sykes4senate.com/biography.html|accessdate=9 April 2012|archive-date=29 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193130/http://www.sykes4senate.com/biography.html|url-status=dead}}
Political career
Sykes first won election to the Oklahoma State Senate in November 2006 from Oklahoma's 24th Senate District. He won reelection in 2010. In the Senate he served as the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and was a member of the Rules, Public Safety, Appropriations, and Agricultural and Rural Development Committees. He was also a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation.{{cite web|title=Senator Anthony Sykes - District 24 |url=http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/sykes_bio.html |publisher=Oklahoma State Senate |accessdate=9 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415193839/http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/sykes_bio.html |archivedate=15 April 2012 }} While in the Senate, Sykes voted to repeal the state's income tax, restrict abortions, and require identification to vote in elections.{{cite web|title=Anthony Sykes - Key Votes|url=http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/46301/anthony-sykes|publisher=Project Vote Smart|accessdate=9 April 2012}}
He also co-authored an amendment to the state's constitution that prohibited the hypothetical consideration of what has been described as Sharia law in judicial decisions.{{cite web|last=Ure|first=Laurie|title=Oklahoma voters face question on Islamic law|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/28/oklahoma.sharia.question/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=9 April 2012}}
In 2022, Sykes ran for the office of Associate District Judge of Stephens County, Oklahoma. He lost to opponent Lawrence Wheeler by a margin of 60% to 40%.https://www.duncanbanner.com/news/wheeler-russell-take-judicial-seats-in-stephens-county/article_9f83a17a-5fe5-11ed-81ff-b36c63f20cca.html
References
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Category:Republican Party Oklahoma state senators
Category:21st-century members of the Oklahoma Legislature
Category:People from McClain County, Oklahoma
Category:People from Moore, Oklahoma
Category:University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni
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