DUNCAN — Sen. Todd Lamb brought his campaign for lieutenant governor to Duncan Friday and he did not talk about the economy or health-care reform.

Instead, the fifth-generation Oklahoman talked about the state he loves and what he hopes to accomplish if he is elected its second-highest official. It’s not that he’s not concerned about such national topics, but Lamb cares about Oklahoma and, if he succeeds in reaching his goals, Oklahomans will benefit in those areas, too, he said.

The Republican senator is serving his second term representing Senate District 47, encompassing northwest Oklahoma City and Edmond, but he has traveled extensively throughout the state and nation.

Born and raised in Enid and a graduate of Enid High School, Lamb attended Louisiana Tech University on a football scholarship, then moved on to Oklahoma State University for his degree in political science. He earned his law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

He and his wife, Monica, to whom he has been married 14 years this month, have two children: a son, Griffin, 9, and daughter, Lauren, 6. The Rev. Clif Cummings, now senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Duncan, officiated at the couple’s wedding when he lived in Enid, and Lamb has many other ties to the Duncan area, including having Ed Apple of Duncan as one of the statewide chairmen of his campaign.

The Lambs are active members of Quail Springs Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon.

Though his own family and church family are important to the candidate, he said he feels a kinship with the entire state, and sees the office of lieutenant governor as an opportunity to be an aggressive ambassador for Oklahoma in many areas.

“I have three goals if I am elected lieutenant governor. The first is to focus on current business in the state. I want to help the state compete economically by being a strong voice for job growth,” he said.

Lamb has a background and life experience on which to draw in that area. He has worked as a landman in Oklahoma’s energy industry and is general counsel for an energy and wireless company in Edmond. Lamb worked on the campaign staff of gubernatorial candidate Frank Keating, and upon Keating’s election, worked alongside the governor for four years, promoting his pro-growth economic agenda.

“Second, I want to travel to recruit businesses to Oklahoma. We have a great place to live and work and I’m excited about selling our state. I want to prove Steinbeck wrong once and for all — shrug off the ‘Grapes of Wrath’ image still perceived by too many people outside our state.

“If Texas, just to our south, was a country instead of a state, it would be the seventh richest economy in the world. We need to cash in on that. The Red River has become an artificial barrier that keeps Texas businesses from relocating here,” he said.

In making the formal announcement of his candidacy last week, Lamb said, “As Oklahomans, whether we’re Cowboys, Sooners, Golden Hurricane, we expect to beat our Texas rivals. We do not allow our coaches to make any excuses when playing against Texas teams. We don’t let them say, ‘Well, Texas is bigger, they’ve been around longer, they have a few more guys than we do.’ But for far too long, that is what we have done with economic development. We have accepted a back seat to Texas. The time for excuses is over. We need action now.”

The Oklahoma business climate has a lot going for it, he said, citing Right to Work, lawsuit reform, recent legislation regarding workers’ comp and other factors.

“And our tax evaluation is lower than ever,” he added.

Lamb’s third goal is boosting tourism.

“We have a beautiful state with lakes and parks and world-class museums and halls of fame and many other places of interest. I want Oklahoma to be a place people come for a week-long stay, not a weekend pass-through to someplace else. The state of Oklahoma has four distinct quadrants, each offering different types of recreation and scenery. By its very nature, it lends itself to tourism, and we need to promote that better,” he said.

In addition to his business and political background, Lamb also has experience in law enforcement. In 1998, he became a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service. During his tenure, he investigated and made numerous arrests in the areas of counterfeiting, bank fraud, threats against the president, and identity theft. His duties included domestic and international protection assignments during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. In early 2001, he was appointed to the national Joint Terrorism Task Force, where he received training and briefings at the CIA, FBI and Secret Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. He also participated in portions of the 9-11 investigations.

Lamb has also been an adjunct college professor, is a member of the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletic Association and officiates high school football.

With his varied education, interests and experience, it seems perfectly natural for Lamb to say, “I will use the platform of the lieutenant governor’s office to be an advocate for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”