Bob Anthony | |
|---|---|
| Member of theOklahoma Corporation Commission Class 3 | |
| In office January 9, 1989 – January 13, 2025 | |
| Governor | Henry Bellmon David Walters Frank Keating Brad Henry Mary Fallin Kevin Stitt |
| Preceded by | Norma Eagleton |
| Succeeded by | Brian Bingman |
| Oklahoma City Councilor for the 2nd Ward | |
| In office 1979–1980 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1948-05-15)May 15, 1948 (age 77) Oklahoma City,Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Nancy Anthony |
| Children | 4 daughters |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BS) London School of Economics (MS) Yale University (MA) Harvard University (MPA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | United States Army Reserve |
Robert Anthony (born May 15, 1948) is aRepublicanpolitician from theU.S. state ofOklahoma who briefly served on theOklahoma City Council and who is the longest serving statewide elected official in state history after serving 36 years on theOklahoma Corporation Commission.
After serving on the Oklahoma City Council from 1979 to 1980, Anthony was elected to the corporation commission in 1989. He was an unsuccessful candidate for theUnited States Senate in 2004, and unsuccessful candidate forUnited States Congress running againstGlenn English in 1990. He served six consecutive six year terms on the commission and was term limited in 2024.
With the retirement ofDoug La Follette as Wisconsin Secretary of State in 2023, Anthony became the earliest serving statewide elected official in the United States, not counting federal offices, having held the same office since 1989. Anthony officially left office in January 2025.
Anthony was born atSt. Anthony Hospital inOklahoma City on May 15, 1948.[1] His father, Guy Anthony, owned theC.R. Anthony Co., a chain of department stores founded by and named after his grandfather.[2]Anthony earned a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Finance at theUniversity of Pennsylvania, a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics, a master's degree from Yale University and a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government atHarvard University.[3]
Anthony was a captain in the United States Army Reserves, worked in his grandfather's retail clothing companyC.R. Anthony Co. Worked as a staff economist for the Interior Committee of theUnited States House of Representatives and as a consultant for theLibrary of Congress from 1976 to 1979.[3]
Anthony served as a member of the Oklahoma City Council representing Ward 2 from 1979 until he resigned in 1980 to take over his father's company after his death.[2] He was the president ofC.R. Anthony Co. from 1980 to 1987 when the company was sold an investor group. He first won election to theOklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) in 1988 and took office in 1989.[2] He was re-elected in 1994, 2000, 2006, 2012, and again in 2018. He was term limited in 2024.[4]
Anthony revealed in late 1992 that he had been cooperating in a federal bribery probe, secretly taping utility company representatives who broke laws prohibiting donations to regulators. The scandal was averted at the last minute by a company buyout.[5]
In 2004 he entered the race to succeedDon Nickles in theUnited States Senate, but finished third in the primary, losing toTom Coburn.[6]
In August 2018, Anthony won the Republican nomination for a seat on the OCC.[7] He went on to face Democrat Ashley Nicole McCray and independent Jackie Short in the November election.[8] Anthony won re-election with 60% of the vote.[8]
In 2023, Anthony filed a 180-page dissent in opposition toTodd Hiett andKim David's votes to accept a $6 billion fuel cost claimed byPublic Service Company of Oklahoma,Oklahoma Natural Gas, andOG&E. He described the price increase as "rotting from a putrid core of greed, public corruption andregulatory capture."[9]
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 1988 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony | 63,947 | 60.40 |
| Republican | Tom Guild | 20,187 | 19.10 |
| Republican | Al Stine | 14,597 | 13.80 |
| Republican | Jack Leebron | 7,104 | 6.70 |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 1988 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony | 606,640 | 53.20 |
| Democratic | Charlie Morgan | 532,726 | 46.80 |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 1994 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony (inc.) | 505,003 | 51.75 |
| Democratic | Charles R. Nesbitt | 470,774 | 48.25 |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony (inc.) | 771,609 | 65.76 |
| Democratic | Gilbert Bigby | 380,108 | 32.40 |
| Libertarian | Roger Bloxham | 21,568 | 1.84 |
| Oklahoma U.S. Senate Republican Primary Election, 2004 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Tom Coburn | 145,974 | 61.23 |
| Republican | Kirk Humphreys | 59,877 | 25.12 |
| Republican | Bob Anthony | 29,596 | 12.41 |
| Republican | Jay Richard Hunt | 2,944 | 1.23 |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 2006 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony (inc.) | 536,341 | 58.66 |
| Democratic | Cody Graves | 378,030 | 41.34 |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony (inc.) | 108,624 | 64.84 |
| Republican | Brooks Mitchell | 58,890 | 35.16 |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony (inc.) | n/a | 100.00 |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony (inc.) | 155,930 | 53.6 |
| Republican | Brian Bingman | 134,926 | 46.4 |
| Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Election, 2018[8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Bob Anthony (inc.) | 700,643 | 60.0 |
| Democrat | Ashley Nicole Mccray | 400,185 | 34.3 |
| Independent | Jackie Short | 66,204 | 5.7 |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theOklahoma Corporation Commission Class 3 1989–2025 | Succeeded by |