Bob Anthony

Early life and career

Anthony was born at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City on May 15, 1948. His father, Guy Anthony, owned the C.R. Anthony Co., a chain of department stores founded by and named after his grandfather. Anthony earned a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Finance at the University 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 at Harvard University.

Anthony was a captain in the United States Army Reserves, worked in his grandfather's retail clothing company C.R. Anthony Co. Worked as a staff economist for the Interior Committee of the United States House of Representatives and as a consultant for the Library of Congress from 1976 to 1979.

Political career

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. He was the president of C.R. Anthony Co. from 1980 to 1987 when the company was sold an investor group. He first won election to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) in 1988 and took office in 1989. He was re-elected in 1994, 2000, 2006, 2012, and again in 2018. He was term limited in 2024.

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.

In 2004 he entered the race to succeed Don Nickles in the United States Senate, but finished third in the primary, losing to Tom Coburn.

In August 2018, Anthony won the Republican nomination for a seat on the OCC. He went on to face Democrat Ashley Nicole McCray and independent Jackie Short in the November election. Anthony won re-election with 60% of the vote.

In 2023, Anthony filed a 180-page dissent in opposition to Todd Hiett and Kim David's votes to accept a $6 billion fuel cost claimed by Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Natural Gas, and OG&E. He described the price increase as "rotting from a putrid core of greed, public corruption and regulatory capture."

Electoral history

References

References

1. [http://voicesofoklahoma.com/bob_anthony.html Voices of Oklahoma interview with Bob Anthony] {{webarchive. link. (2010-07-26 , [http://voicesofoklahoma.com/index.html Voices of Oklahoma oral history project] {{webarchive). link. (July 29, 2010 , April 27, 2010 (accessed May 22, 2013))
2. [https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/2456/bob-anthony#.UZ2ePuAo7IU Bob Anthony], Project Vote Smart (accessed May 22, 2013)
3. (January 13, 2025). "'Champion of the ratepayer': Bob Anthony reformed OCC, worked undercover for FBI". NonDoc.
4. (14 June 2024). "Cheat sheet: 3 seek GOP nod to succeed Anthony on Oklahoma Corporation Commission". NonDoc.
5. [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/fixers/interviews/anthony.html PBS Interview with Bob Anthony] (accessed May 23, 2013)
6. [http://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/04reppri.pdf United States Senator Republican Primary Election – July 27, 2004], Oklahoma State Election Board (accessed May 22, 2013)
7. Buettner, Joe. (2018-08-28). "Incumbent Bob Anthony wins GOP nomination for Oklahoma corporation commissioner".
8. (2018-11-07). "Anthony wins a sixth term as a Corporation Commissioner".
9. (April 23, 2023). "Political notebook: Anthony blasts fellow corporation commissioners -- again". [[Tulsa World]].