Bob Anthony
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Bob Anthony
|office = Member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Class 3
|governor = Henry Bellmon
David Walters
Frank Keating
Brad Henry
Mary Fallin
Kevin Stitt
|term_start = January 9, 1989
|term_end = January 13, 2025
|predecessor = Norma Eagleton
|successor = Brian Bingman
|office2 = Oklahoma City Councilor for the 2nd Ward
|term_start2 = 1979
|term_end2 = 1980
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|5|15}}
|birth_place = Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|spouse = Nancy Anthony
|children = 4 daughters
|education = University of Pennsylvania (BS)
London School of Economics (MS)
Yale University (MA)
Harvard University (MPA)
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{army|United States}}
|unit = United States Army Reserve
|rank = Captain
}}
Robert Anthony (born May 15, 1948) is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma who briefly served on the Oklahoma City Council and who is the longest serving statewide elected official in state history after serving 36 years on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
After serving on the Oklahoma City Council from 1979 to 1980, Anthony was elected to the corporation commission in 1989. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 2004, and unsuccessful candidate for United States Congress running against Glenn English in 1990. He served six consecutive six year terms on the commission and was term limited in 2024.
With the retirement of Doug La Follette as Wisconsin Secretary of State in 2023, Anthony became the earliest serving statewide elected official in the United States, not counting federal offices, having held the same office since 1989. Anthony officially left office in January 2025.
Early life and career
Anthony was born at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City on May 15, 1948.[http://voicesofoklahoma.com/bob_anthony.html Voices of Oklahoma interview with Bob Anthony] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726135434/http://voicesofoklahoma.com/bob_anthony.html |date=2010-07-26 }}, [http://voicesofoklahoma.com/index.html Voices of Oklahoma oral history project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729022003/http://voicesofoklahoma.com/index.html |date=July 29, 2010 }}, April 27, 2010 (accessed May 22, 2013) His father, Guy Anthony, owned the C.R. Anthony Co., a chain of department stores founded by and named after his grandfather.
Anthony earned a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics, a master's degree from Yale University and a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/2456/bob-anthony#.UZ2ePuAo7IU Bob Anthony], Project Vote Smart (accessed May 22, 2013)
Anthony was a captain in the United States Army Reserves, worked in his grandfather's retail clothing company C.R. Anthony Co. Worked as a staff economist for the Interior Committee of the United States House of Representatives and as a consultant for the Library of Congress from 1976 to 1979.
Political career
Anthony served as a member of the Oklahoma City Council representing Ward 2 from 1979 until he resigned in 1980 to take over his father's company after his death.{{cite news |last1=McNutt |first1=Michael |title='Champion of the ratepayer': Bob Anthony reformed OCC, worked undercover for FBI |url=https://nondoc.com/2025/01/13/champion-of-the-ratepayer-bob-anthony-reformed-occ-worked-undercover-for-fbi/ |access-date=January 14, 2025 |work=NonDoc |date=January 13, 2025}} He was the president of C.R. Anthony Co. from 1980 to 1987 when the company was sold an investor group. He first won election to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) in 1988 and took office in 1989. He was re-elected in 1994, 2000, 2006, 2012, and again in 2018. He was term limited in 2024.{{cite news |last1=McNutt |first1=Michael |title=Cheat sheet: 3 seek GOP nod to succeed Anthony on Oklahoma Corporation Commission |url=https://nondoc.com/2024/06/14/cheat-sheet-3-seek-gop-nod-to-succeed-anthony-on-oklahoma-corporation-commission/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |work=NonDoc |date=14 June 2024}}
Anthony revealed in late 1992 that he had been cooperating in a federal bribery probe, secretly taping utility company representatives who broke laws prohibiting donations to regulators. The scandal was averted at the last minute by a company buyout.[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/fixers/interviews/anthony.html PBS Interview with Bob Anthony] (accessed May 23, 2013)
In 2004 he entered the race to succeed Don Nickles in the United States Senate, but finished third in the primary, losing to Tom Coburn.[http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/04reppri.pdf United States Senator Republican Primary Election – July 27, 2004], Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed May 22, 2013)
In August 2018, Anthony won the Republican nomination for a seat on the OCC.{{Cite web|url=https://ktul.com/news/local/inc-bob-anthony-wins-gop-nomination-for-oklahoma-corporation-commissioner|title=Incumbent Bob Anthony wins GOP nomination for Oklahoma corporation commissioner|last=Buettner|first=Joe|date=2018-08-28|website=KTUL|access-date=2020-03-04}} He went on to face Democrat Ashley Nicole McCray and independent Jackie Short in the November election.{{Cite web|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5614245/anthony-wins-a-sixth-term-as-a-corporation-commissioner/|title=Anthony wins a sixth term as a Corporation Commissioner|date=2018-11-07|website=Oklahoman.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-04}} Anthony won re-election with 60% of the vote.
In 2023, Anthony filed a 180-page dissent in opposition to Todd Hiett and Kim David's votes to accept a $6 billion fuel cost claimed by Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Natural Gas, and OG&E. He described the price increase as "rotting from a putrid core of greed, public corruption and regulatory capture."{{cite news |last1=Krehbiel |first1=Randy |title=Political notebook: Anthony blasts fellow corporation commissioners -- again |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-regional/political-notebook-anthony-blasts-fellow-corporation-commissioners----again/article_36660940-e04f-11ed-8f4d-dbe97372236d.html |access-date=21 May 2023 |work=Tulsa World |date=April 23, 2023}}
Electoral history
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 1988 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony |63,947 |60.40 |
| Republican
|Tom Guild |20,187 |19.10 |
| Republican
|Al Stine |14,597 |13.80 |
| Republican
|Jack Leebron |7,104 |6.70 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 1988 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony |606,640 |53.20 |
| Democratic
|Charlie Morgan |532,726 |46.80 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 1994 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony (inc.) |505,003 |51.75 |
| Democratic
|470,774 |48.25 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 2000 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony (inc.) |771,609 |65.76 |
| Democratic
|Gilbert Bigby |380,108 |32.40 |
| Libertarian
|Roger Bloxham |21,568 |1.84 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma U.S. Senate Republican Primary Election, 2004 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|145,974 |61.23 |
| Republican
|59,877 |25.12 |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony |29,596 |12.41 |
| Republican
|Jay Richard Hunt |2,944 |1.23 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 2006 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony (inc.) |536,341 |58.66 |
| Democratic
|Cody Graves |378,030 |41.34 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 2012 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony (inc.) |108,624 |64.84 |
| Republican
|Brooks Mitchell |58,890 |35.16 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 2012 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony (inc.) |n/a |100.00 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 2018 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Bob Anthony (inc.) |155,930 |53.6 |
| Republican
|134,926 |46.4 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official|http://www.BobAnthony.com}}
- *[http://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/interview/anthony-bob/ Voices of Oklahoma interview with Bob Anthony.] First person interview conducted on April 27, 2010, with Bob Anthony.
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Norma Eagleton}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Class 3|years=1989–2025}}
{{s-aft|after=Brian Bingman}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anthony, Bob}}
Category:21st-century Oklahoma politicians
Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics
Category:American United Methodists
Category:Corporation commissioners of Oklahoma
Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Category:Oklahoma City city council members