James Paul Lankford, born March 4, 1968, in Arlington, Texas, is a conservative Republican U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. He holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary education from the University of Texas at Arlington (1990) and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1994). Prior to entering politics, Lankford spent over 20 years in youth ministry, including as executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma's Falls Creek camp, the largest youth camp in the U.S. A devout Southern Baptist, he identifies strongly with evangelical values and has advocated for pro-life policies, religious liberty, and Second Amendment rights.

Lankford's political career began with a 2010 special election victory to represent Oklahoma's 5th congressional district in the U.S. House, where he served until 2015. He then won a special election to the U.S. Senate in 2014 to succeed Tom Coburn, assuming office on January 3, 2015, and was reelected in 2020. He serves on key committees including Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Finance, and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Lankford is noted for leadership on issues like border security, government ethics, fiscal conservatism, and donor privacy legislation, as well as bipartisan efforts on human trafficking and election integrity. He has faced criticism from some conservatives for supporting measures such as Ukraine aid and a 2024 border security bill, which he helped negotiate before its failure.

He resides in Edmond, Oklahoma, with his wife Cindy and their two daughters.