{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Amanda Swope | image = Amanda Swope.jpg | caption = Swope in 2022 | office = Tulsa Director of Tribal Policy & Partnership | term_start = January 29, 2025 | term_end = | appointer = Monroe Nichols | predecessor = Position established | successor = | state_house2 = Oklahoma | district2 = 71st | term_start2 = November 16, 2022 | term_end2 = January 28, 2025 | predecessor2 = Denise Brewer | successor2 = Amanda Clinton | office3 = Chairwoman of the Tulsa County Democratic Party | term_start3 = 2019 | term_end3 = 2022 | predecessor3 = | successor3 = Bruce Niemi | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|02|05}} | birth_place = Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | party = Democratic | citizenship = American<br>Muscogee Nation | education = Northeastern State University (BA)<br>University of Oklahoma (MPA) }} '''Amanda Swope''' is an American and Muscogee politician who served as the Oklahoma House of Representatives member from the 71st district from 2022 to 2025. She was the Tulsa County Democratic Party Chairwoman between 2019 and 2022, the youngest person and first Native American to hold the position.
She is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and, in January 2025 assumed the role of Director of Tribal Policy & Partnership in the administration of Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols.
==Early life and education== Amanda Swope was born and raised in Tulsa where she graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 2006.<ref name="Fox November 2022">{{cite news |last1=de Vera |first1=Abbie |title=Swope in for the win: Rep.-elect (D) Swope, Councilor (D) Decter Wright, Rep. Provenzano |url=https://www.fox23.com/news/swope-win-rep-elect-d-swope-councilor-d-decter-wright-rep-provenzano/SRZNDZQX4JDOLDAJ5V4W2CBRGA/ |access-date=8 January 2023 |work=Fox 23 |date=November 9, 2022}}</ref> Her mother is former Tulsa City Councilor Connie Dodson.<ref name="Canfield-Dec2022" /> She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Northeastern State University and her master's degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma.<ref name="Nondoc- 1" />
==Career== Swope worked in the nonprofit sector before accepting a job for the Muscogee Nation in 2018.<ref name="Fox November 2022" /><ref name="Nondoc- 1" /> She became the tribal juvenile justice program director for the Muscogee Nation in 2021.<ref name="Fox November 2022" />
==Tulsa County Democratic Party== Swope started volunteering with the Tulsa County Democratic Party in 2011. She served as the Chairwoman of the Tulsa County Democratic Party from 2019 to 2022. She was the youngest person and first Native American to hold the seat.<ref name="Fox November 2022" /> She also worked on Drew Edmondson's campaign for governor in 2018.<ref name="Canfield-Dec2022">{{cite news |last1=Canfield |first1=Kevin |title=Outgoing City Councilor Connie Dodson, incoming state Rep. Amanda Swope talk about mother-daughter relationship, politics |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/government-politics/outgoing-city-councilor-connie-dodson-incoming-state-rep-amanda-swope-talk-about-mother-daughter-relationship/article_44219fc8-7005-11ed-bade-0f8e44f98366.html |access-date=July 18, 2024 |work=Tulsa World |date=December 1, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
==Oklahoma House of Representatives== Swope filed to run for Oklahoma House of Representatives 71st district to succeed Representative Denise Brewer in 2022. She faced no other Democratic candidates in the primary and Republican Mike Masters in the general election.<ref name="Nondoc- 1">{{cite news |last1=DenHoed |first1=Andrea |title=Mike Masters, Amanda Swope compete for open House District 71 in Tulsa |url=https://nondoc.com/2022/10/24/mike-masters-amanda-swope-house-district-71-tulsa/ |access-date=8 January 2023 |work=Nondoc |date=October 24, 2022}}</ref> She was endorsed by the ''Tulsa World'' and received campaign contributions from the Cherokee Nation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Endorsement: Amanda Swope is the best choice for voters in House District 71 |url=https://tulsaworld.com/opinion/editorials/endorsement-amanda-swope-is-the-best-choice-for-voters-in-house-district-71/article_b435bdce-5171-11ed-a14d-bf84454558a1.html |access-date=8 January 2023 |work=Tulsa World |date=October 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rowley |first1=D. Sean |title=CN splits $400K in contributions between Democrats, GOP |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/cn-splits-400k-in-contributions-between-democrats-gop/article_b73719e8-594e-11ed-82c8-63afe1335d44.html |access-date=8 January 2023 |work=Cherokee Phoenix |date=October 31, 2022}}</ref> She defeated Masters with over 60% of the vote.<ref>{{cite news |title=Election results for Tulsa races |url=https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/local-regional/2022-11-08/today-is-election-day-in-oklahoma-check-here-for-tulsa-race-results |access-date=8 January 2023 |work=Public Radio Tulsa |date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> She was sworn in on November 16, 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shular |first1=Daniel |title=Photos: Lawmakers sworn in at Capitol on Oklahoma Statehood Day |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/photos-lawmakers-sworn-in-at-capitol-on-oklahoma-statehood-day/collection_2f0ed44e-65ff-11ed-881e-6bc7ff24ff5e.html#1 |access-date=13 December 2022 |work=Tulsa World |date=16 November 2022}}</ref> During her tenure she served on the Elections and Ethics Committee, Administrative Rules Committee, State Powers Committee, Rules Committee, and Public Safety Appropriations and Budget Committee.<ref name="house bio">{{cite web |title=Representative Amanda Swope |url=https://www.okhouse.gov/representatives/amanda-swope |website=okhouse.gov |publisher=Oklahoma House of Representatives |access-date=December 12, 2024}}</ref>
Swope ran for reelection unopposed in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McNutt |first1=Michael |title=Half of Oklahoma House members seeking 2024 reelection win by default |url=https://nondoc.com/2024/04/05/half-of-oklahoma-house-members-seeking-2024-reelection-win-by-default/ |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=NonDoc |date=April 6, 2024}}</ref> That December, she announced she would resign to serve as Tulsa's director of tribal policy and partnerships starting January 29, 2025, in Mayor Monroe Nichols' administration.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Canfield |first1=Kevin |title=Mayor Monroe Nichols names director of Office of Tribal Policy and Partnerships |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/government-politics/mayor-monroe-nichols-names-director-of-office-of-tribal-policy-and-partnerships/article_495137a4-b8cb-11ef-9fd6-d3acd6bdec94.html |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=Tulsa World |date=December 12, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life== Swope is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and of Osage descent.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Loveless |first1=Tristan |title=Rep. Amanda Swope joining Nichols administration as Tulsa's tribal director, special election looms |url=https://nondoc.com/2024/12/12/rep-amanda-swope-joining-nichols-administration-as-tulsas-tribal-director-special-election-looms/ |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=NonDoc |date=December 12, 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swope, Amanda}} Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century members of the Oklahoma Legislature Category:American people of Osage descent Category:Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Category:Living people Category:Muscogee Nation state legislators in Oklahoma Category:Nathan Hale High School alumni Category:Northeastern State University alumni Category:Politicians from Tulsa, Oklahoma Category:University of Oklahoma alumni Category:Women state legislators in Oklahoma Category:Year of birth missing (living people)