Drew Edmondson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Drew Edmondson
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| 16th Attorney General of Oklahoma | |
| In office January 9, 1995 – January 10, 2011 |
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| Governor | Frank Keating Brad Henry |
| Preceded by | Susan B. Loving |
| Succeeded by | Scott Pruitt |
| District Attorney of Muskogee County | |
| In office January 1983 – April 1, 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Turpen |
| Succeeded by | John Luton |
| Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 13th district |
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| In office January 7, 1975 – January 4, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | George Miller |
| Succeeded by | Jim Barker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Andrew Edmondson
October 12, 1946 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Linda Larason
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Ed Edmondson (father) James E. Edmondson (brother) J. Howard Edmondson (uncle) |
| Education | Northeastern State University (BA) University of Tulsa (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1968–1972 |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Drew Edmondson (born October 12, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Edmondson served as the 16th Attorney General of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2011. Before that, he was the district attorney for Muskogee County, Oklahoma, from 1983 to 1992. He also ran for governor of Oklahoma in 2010 and 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Drew Edmondson was born in Washington, D.C., on October 12, 1946. His father was Ed Edmondson, a former U.S. Congressman. His uncle, J. Howard Edmondson, was a former governor of Oklahoma. His brother, James E. Edmondson, is a justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Drew grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Washington, D.C. He graduated from Muskogee High School in 1964. In 1968, he earned a bachelor's degree in speech education from Northeastern State University. He later earned a law degree from the University of Tulsa Law School in 1978.
Public Service Career
Military Service and Early Politics
From 1968 to 1972, Edmondson served in the United States Navy. This included a year of duty during the Vietnam War. After his military service, he began his political career. From 1975 to 1977, he served one term in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
District Attorney Role
In 1978, Edmondson joined the Muskogee County District Attorney's Office as an intern. He became an assistant district attorney the next year. In 1982, he was elected as the District Attorney for Muskogee County. He was reelected two more times without anyone running against him. As District Attorney, he handled many different types of legal cases. He left this role in 1992 to run for Congress.
Attorney General of Oklahoma
Edmondson was elected as Oklahoma Attorney General in 1994. He served four terms, from 1995 to 2011. During his time as Attorney General, he worked on several important issues:
- He joined other state attorneys general in a lawsuit against the tobacco industry.
- He helped change the process for death penalty appeals.
- He created a special unit to help victims of crimes.
In 1998, he was reelected without opposition. He won a third term in 2002 and a fourth term in 2006. From 2002 to 2003, he was the president of the National Association of Attorneys General.
During his time as Attorney General, his office investigated important cases. One investigation involved a former State Insurance Commissioner, which led to the commissioner's removal from office. Edmondson also had a legal disagreement with then-governor Frank Keating. This dispute was about the governor changing his Cabinet without approval from the state legislature. The Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed with Edmondson.
In 2007, Edmondson's office charged some activists for using out-of-state people to collect signatures for a ballot initiative. However, a U.S. Court later ruled that the Oklahoma law against this was unconstitutional. Because of this, the charges were dropped in 2009.
Edmondson did not run for a fifth term as Attorney General in 2010. He chose to run for governor instead.
Gubernatorial Campaigns
2010 Governor Race
On June 10, 2009, Drew Edmondson announced he would run for Governor of Oklahoma. In the Democratic primary election on July 27, 2010, he narrowly lost to Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins. The difference was less than one percent of the votes. After the election, Edmondson supported Askins. He said that the primary election had been fair and focused on important issues.
2018 Governor Race
On May 1, 2017, Edmondson announced he would run for Governor of Oklahoma again. He won the Democratic nomination on June 26, 2018. However, in the general election on November 6, 2018, he was defeated by the Republican candidate, Kevin Stitt.
Personal Life and Family
Drew Edmondson is married to Linda Larason. They have two children. The Edmondson family is well known in Oklahoma politics.
- His father, Ed Edmondson, was a U.S. Congressman.
- His uncle, J. Howard Edmondson, was a former Oklahoma governor and U.S. Senator.
- His brother, James E. Edmondson, is a Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Awards and Recognition
On March 6, 2009, Northeastern State University honored Drew Edmondson with a "100 Centurion award." This award recognized 100 people who had a positive impact on the university community over the past 100 years.
Images for kids
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Drew Edmondson
