Cyndi Munson

Cyndi Munson
Official portrait, 2015
Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Assumed office
November 16, 2022
Preceded byEmily Virgin
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
from the 85th district
Assumed office
September 17, 2015
Preceded byDavid Dank
Personal details
Born (1985-05-24) May 24, 1985 (age 39)
Monterey, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Central Oklahoma (BA)
University of Nebraska, Lincoln (MS)

Cyndi Munson (born May 24, 1985) is an American politician from Oklahoma. She is a Democratic member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, representing the 85th district since 2015.[1] She won a special election to replace David Dank with over 54% of the vote.

Early life and education

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Munson was born in Monterey, California and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma.[2] Munson's father was a member of the military. Munson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Central Oklahoma and Master of Science in leadership education from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. As an undergraduate, Munson participated in a program in non-profit and voluntary services at Georgetown University.[3]

Career

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Prior to entering politics, Munson has worked as a non-profit executive.[4] Munson first ran for the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2014, but lost to the incumbent.[5] Munson was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2015, the first Asian-American to serve in the Oklahoma Legislature. In 2019, Munson was selected to serve on the Oversight Committee for the Legislative Office for Fiscal Transparency.[4] In 2022, Munson succeeded Emily Virgin as minority leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.[6] She was the first Asian American nominee for Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Salamat, Poya (Sep 8, 2015). "Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson wins Rep. David Dank's House Seat". KOKH. Retrieved Jan 7, 2021.
  2. ^ "Asian Avenue magazine - November 2015". Issuu. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  3. ^ "Representative Cyndi Munson - Oklahoma House of Representatives". www.okhouse.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  4. ^ a b "New Oklahoma State Representative Sworn into Office". KTUL. Associated Press. 2015-09-16. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  5. ^ Felder, Ben (July 6, 2023). "Oklahoma Democrats, a once powerful party, look to rebuild". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  6. ^ Felder, Ben (24 December 2022). "Cyndi Munson, the new Democratic House leader, sees a path forward for her party". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  7. ^ Krehbiel, Randy (January 8, 2023). "Political notebook: After long climb, state tax revenue leveling out". Tulsa World. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Preceded by Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
2022–present
Incumbent