Josh Brecheen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josh Brecheen
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 2nd district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Markwayne Mullin |
| Member of the Oklahoma Senate from the 6th district |
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| In office November 2010 – November 14, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Jay Paul Gumm |
| Succeeded by | David Bullard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 19, 1979 Ada, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nationality | American Choctaw Nation |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kacie |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Southeastern Oklahoma State University (BS) |
Joshua Chad Brecheen (born June 19, 1979) is an American politician from Oklahoma. He is a U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district and started serving in 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before this, he was a state senator in Oklahoma from 2010 to 2018. He is also a citizen of the Choctaw Nation.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Joshua Chad Brecheen was born on June 19, 1979. He went to Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. In 1997, he was chosen as a leader for the Oklahoma FFA, which is a group for students interested in agriculture. The next year, he became the State FFA President. He then moved to Stillwater and went to Oklahoma State University. He was the State FFA President until 1999.
After his time with the FFA, Brecheen earned two degrees from Oklahoma State University. He studied animal science and agricultural communications. In 2004, he started working for U.S. Senator Tom Coburn. He worked there until he was elected to the Oklahoma Senate. He also owns two businesses: Brecheen Keynotes and Seminars, which is a company for motivational speaking, and Rawhide Dirtworks, which does excavation work.
Oklahoma State Senate Career
In 2010, Josh Brecheen decided to run for a seat in the Oklahoma Senate for the 6th district. He was the only Republican candidate, so he didn't have to run against anyone in his own party. In the main election, he ran against the current Democratic Senator, Jay Paul Gumm. Brecheen won the election in November. The Tulsa World newspaper said that this election had the most money raised for a State Senate seat in 2010.
During his first term as a state senator, Brecheen suggested several new laws. One bill he proposed was to change the Oklahoma Pet Breeders Act. This act required pet breeders to provide good care for their animals. Brecheen believed the act was unfair to breeders who followed the rules. He also wanted the Oklahoma Legislature to meet every other year instead of every year and to lower how much lawmakers were paid. Another idea he had was to cut funding for the Art in Public Places program, which supported public art projects. Brecheen also suggested a bill (SB 554) that would allow teachers to discuss different ideas about how life began in Oklahoma public schools.
Brecheen served in the Oklahoma Senate for two terms, until 2018. He decided not to run again because he believed in limiting how many terms a politician can serve.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2022 Election
In 2022, Brecheen ran for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The previous representative, Markwayne Mullin, decided to run for a different office. There were 14 Republican candidates in the primary election. Brecheen often said he was like "Tom Coburn's protégé" during his campaign. He also promised to vote "no" on any new tax increases.
Brecheen came in second place in the primary election, which meant he went to a runoff election against state Representative Avery Frix. Brecheen won the runoff election by a small number of votes, becoming the Republican candidate. His campaign received a lot of financial support from political groups. In the main election, he won against Naomi Andrews, a Democratic candidate, and "Bulldog" Ben Robinson, an independent candidate.
2024 Election
For the 2024 election, Brecheen ran again. He was the only Republican candidate, so he did not have to run in a primary. He will face Brandon Wade, a Democratic candidate, and Ronnie Hopkins, an independent candidate.
Time in Office
In June 2023, Brecheen introduced a bill called the Patriotism Not Pride Act. If this bill became law, it would stop the government from using federal money for Pride Month events. It would also prevent federal agencies from showing the Pride flag.
2023 Speaker Election
In January 2023, the United States House of Representatives had to choose a new Speaker. This was a long process with many votes. In the first vote, Brecheen voted for Representative Jim Banks. He then changed his vote to Representative Jim Jordan for the next two votes. After that, he voted for Representative Byron Donalds three times. On the third day of voting, he voted for Donalds again. For the next few votes, he supported Kevin Hern. Finally, on the 12th vote, he changed his support to Kevin McCarthy. This happened after McCarthy agreed to make some changes to the House rules.
Syria
In 2023, Brecheen was one of 47 Republicans who voted for a resolution. This resolution asked President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.
Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023
Brecheen was among 71 Republicans who voted against the final approval of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House. This act was about how the government spends money.
Israel
Brecheen voted to provide support to Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Ukraine
In 2024, Brecheen voted against a large military aid package for Ukraine.
Groups He Belongs To
- Freedom Caucus: This is a group of conservative Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Political Positions
Gamefowl Activities
In January 2024, Josh Brecheen confirmed his support for changing laws related to activities involving gamefowl (a type of bird often bred for sport).
Personal Life
Brecheen is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation.
Images for kids
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Official photo of Josh Brecheen
