Tom Cole

Snapshot

Thomas Jeffery Cole (born April 28, 1949) is a Republican U.S. Representative from Oklahoma's 4th congressional district, serving since January 2003. He chairs the House Appropriations Committee as the 43rd chairman — the first Native American and first Oklahoman to hold the gavel. An enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, Cole became the longest-serving Native American in congressional history in 2022. Before Congress, he served as Oklahoma Secretary of State (1995-1999), Oklahoma State Senator (1988-1991), and chaired the Oklahoma Republican Party. He holds a Ph.D. in British history from the University of Oklahoma, an M.A. from Yale University, and a B.A. from Grinnell College. Cole and his wife Ellen live in Moore, Oklahoma.