{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Mark Tedford |image = Tedford Mark OKHouse.jpg |caption = Official portrait, 2023 |state_house = Oklahoma |district = 69th |term_start = November 16, 2022 |term_end = |predecessor = Sheila Dills |successor = |birth_name = Mark Andrew Tedford |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|6|26}} |birth_place = Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Republican |spouse = {{marriage|Kristin Anderson|1992}} |children = 4 |education = Missouri Southern State University (BS)<br>University of Tulsa (MBA)<br>Biola University (MA) }} '''Mark Tedford''' is an American politician and insurance agent who is the Oklahoma House of Representatives member from the 69th district. He represents Jenks and South Tulsa.
Tedford was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and raised in Jenks, Oklahoma, before graduating from Missouri Southern State University which he attended on a football scholarship. In 2022, he was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives to succeed retiring Representative Sheila Dills. He was initially elected and reelected in 2024 unopposed.
In 2026, he filed for the Republican Party's nomination to succeed Kevin Hern in the U.S. House of Representatives.
==Early life, education and family== Mark Andrew Tedford was born on June 26, 1969, to George and Kay Tedford in Lafayette, Louisiana.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mark Andrew Tedford |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-shreveport-journal-mark-andrew-tedfo/193184759/ |access-date=March 12, 2026 |work=The Shreveport Journal |date=July 4, 1969 |page=20}}</ref> He graduated from Jenks High School and signed with Missouri Southern State University to play for their football team in 1988.<ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Kane |first1=Dan |title=Johnson Wavered, But Still Chose Irish |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tulsa-world-johnson-wavered-but-still-c/193184932/ |access-date=March 12, 2026 |work=Tulsa World |date=February 12, 1988 |page=25}}</ref> He married Kristin Anderson on July 18, 1992.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kristin Elizabeth Anderson and Mark Andrew Tedford |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tulsa-world-kristin-elizabeth-anderson-a/193185117/ |access-date=March 12, 2026 |work=Tulsa World |date=December 1, 1991 |page=82}}</ref>
==Oklahoma House of Representatives== ===2022 election=== Tedford was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives after running unopposed to succeed retiring Representative Sheila Dills in the 2022 Oklahoma House of Representatives election.<ref name="TW-24April2022">{{cite news |last1=Krehbiel |first1=Randy |title='New' legislator wins state House seat just by filing |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/new-legislator-wins-state-house-seat-just-by-filing/article_a610a034-c269-11ec-966f-8b75f4445a2d.html |access-date=24 April 2022 |publisher=Tulsa World |date=24 April 2022}}</ref> He 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>
===Tenure=== Prior to his first legislative session, Tedford advocated for an increase in teacher pay by arguing current wages were not competitive in the Oklahoma jobs market.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Eger |first1=Andrea |title=Several Tulsa-area Republicans say they would support pay raises for Oklahoma teachers in 2023 |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/several-tulsa-area-republicans-say-they-would-support-pay-raises-for-oklahoma-teachers-in-2023/article_831a23b4-7756-11ed-a361-eb406d952136.html |access-date=17 December 2022 |work=Tulsa World |date=11 December 2022}}</ref> He was endorsed for re-election by Kevin Hern in September 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Krehbiel |first1=Randy |title=Political notebook: Stitt says Republican presidential nomination ‘wide open’ |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/political-notebook-stitt-says-republican-presidential-nomination-wide-open/article_af05669e-5975-11ee-af45-ef7e136ca77a.html |access-date=24 September 2023 |work=Tulsa World |date=September 23, 2023}}</ref>
==Congressional campaign== On March 11, 2026, Tedford announced that he would be a candidate for the United States House of Representatives.<ref>https://www.newson6.com/politics/mark-tedford-announces-ok1-congress-run-hern-seat</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Oklahoma House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tedford, Mark}} Category:1969 births Category:21st-century members of the Oklahoma Legislature Category:Living people Category:Republican Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
{{Oklahoma-politician-stub}}