(Update: On Tuesday, June 16, GOP candidates Michael Brittingham and Anthony DeVore advanced to an Aug. 25 runoff election.)
Three Republicans are vying to become the next representative for House District 19, including the former president of the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission, a former county commissioner and a band director.
Running for the open seat are Michael Brittingham, Anthony DeVore and Derek Porter. HD 19 covers parts of Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw and Pushmataha counties in southeast Oklahoma.
The winner of the June primary will succeed incumbent Rep. Justin Humphrey (R-Lane), who is running in a crowded primary field for lieutenant governor.
If no HD 19 candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the June 16 Republican primary, the top two finishers will advance to an Aug. 25 runoff. The winner will take the seat since no other candidate filed.
The following cheat sheet provides an overview of HD 19 candidates and is derived from publicly available information, such as campaign websites, social media pages, news articles and podcast appearances. Candidates are listed alphabetically.
Michael Brittingham
Age: 63
Profession/background: A 1980 graduate of Antlers High School, Michael Brittingham worked at a local grocery store chain for a decade before starting his own grocery business. According to his website, after being elected in 2010 as the District 1 commissioner for Pushmataha County, he sold his businesses “to focus on the needs of his neighbors.” Brittingham won reelection to his commissioner seat in 2022 before retiring Feb. 1 to focus on his campaign for HD 19.
Platform: Brittingham has been endorsed by the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, which said in a post that he is “committed to fighting back against NYC banks and reining in credit card companies that continue to burden restaurants and small businesses with excessive fees.” He has also announced an endorsement from the Make Oklahoma Healthy Again PAC.
“I am honored to have earned the trust and support of the state’s leading grassroots movement, working to improve our state’s health outcomes with clean air and water, family farms, healthy food options, and supporting parental rights,” Brittingham wrote on Facebook.
On his website, Brittingham discusses his record as a county commissioner more than his priorities for HD 19, saying “his leadership secured millions in funding for roads, bridges, and infrastructure through partnerships with local, tribal, and federal agencies.”
“Pushmataha County in SE Oklahoma has been my home my entire life, and I’ve been honored to dedicate my service to improving our quality of life,” Brittingham said in his Aug. 21 campaign announcement. “I’m announcing my candidacy to serve you as your state representative to bring our conservative values, proven leadership, and a commitment to results for our communities to the Oklahoma Legislature. Together, we can build a stronger future for District 19.”
Anthony DeVore
Age: 54
Profession/background: According to his website, Anthony DeVore says he is a product of the “DHS system” and grew up being moved among foster homes, his grandparents’ home and a youth shelter. In an interview with NonDoc in April, he said he is more than “a chicken farmer,” citing a background in law enforcement and education.
In recent years, however, DeVore has made headlines for his work as the former president of the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission, a position from which resigned in December. DeVore received a six-month deferred sentence in March after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor count of being a spectator at a cockfight. A July 2025 bankruptcy filing by DeVore was recently denied after he failed to provide further information about business-related income.
Platform: In a Facebook post, DeVore states he will “fight to reduce burdensome regulations, protect private property rights, expand economic opportunities, and help rural businesses grow and create jobs.”
In another post, DeVore said the state’s ballot initiative process poses a risk for the future of agriculture in Oklahoma because “decisions are driven by population centers in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.”
“Agriculutre is the DNA of District 19 and rural Oklahoma. Too often, when we talk about protecting our farms, ranches, and livestock operations, people dismiss it as just another campaign talking point. It’s not,” DeVore said. “We have seen movements in other states target agriculture, private property rights, and rural ways of life. Those same ideas eventually find their way to Oklahoma if we are not vigilant. It’s time to make real changes that protect our farmers, ranchers, and livestock producers from outside influences that do not understand rural communities.”
Devore has also said he supports a return to what he called “progressive sentencing,” using drug crimes and theft as examples of charges where he believes stronger sentences for subsequent offenses would deter repeat activity.
“I like progressive sanctions. I’ve always been a huge fan of progressive sanctions, basically on misdemeanors, you know, like the fentanyl and the drugs that are actually killing people and harming people,” DeVore said in April. “We should have progressive sanctions in the state.”
Links: Website | Facebook | LinkedIn
Derek Porter
Age: 54
Profession/background: Derek Porter operates Julian Lumber Company in Antlers. He is also a volunteer band director for Hugo High School.
Platform: According to his website, Porter says he is a 100 percent conservative who “will never back down from a fight.” His site states he will “cut red tape” and “fix education with real support for teachers.”
In a campaign ad that shows Porter taking a discordant group of student musicians and conducting them into an up-beat jam, a narrator says Porter is “a leader in our schools, a leader in business (and) a conservative who believes standards still matter.”
“I’m not in this for politics — I’m in this to fix what’s broken. I’ve seen the damage government overreach can do,” Porter says on his website. “I’ve seen what happens when rural schools are left behind. It’s time someone stood up and fought back. I will.”
In a Facebook post, Porter criticized “false lies being spread on social media about data centers.”
“I like the moratorium for a year. Let’s get more information about them. There is new technology that will allow cooling using minimal amounts of water. 4-5 households per day. There are ways for them to provide their own electricity. This would not cost us extra money for power,” Porter wrote. “People ask for industry in southeast Oklahoma, yet do not want data centers. This type of Industry has the ability to bring new tax money to southeast Oklahoma, without losing our natural resources.”
Links: Website | Facebook | LinkedIn
