A Decade of Service & Legislative Accomplishment
A Career Built on Service. A Legislative
Record Built on Results.
For nearly a decade, Representative Ross Ford has brought a unique perspective to the Oklahoma Legislature: more than 25 years of experience serving on the front lines of public safety as a Tulsa police officer.
Elected in 2017 to represent House District 76, which includes portions of Broken Arrow and Tulsa, Ford has carried that commitment to service from the streets of Tulsa to the Oklahoma State Capitol. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
Today, he serves as Assistant Majority Whip in the Oklahoma House and as Chair of the Appropriations & Budget Public Safety Subcommittee. His committee assignments include Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight, Appropriations & Budget, Banking, Financial Services and Pensions, the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget, and other public-safety-related committees. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
His legislative priorities have remained remarkably consistent:
Protect victims. Support law enforcement. Protect children and families. Strengthen public safety. Hold offenders accountable.
A Decade of Putting Experience to Work
Ross Ford did not enter public service as a career politician.
He spent more than 25 years with the Tulsa Police Department, serving as a patrol officer, DARE and community-relations officer, airport security officer, motorcycle officer, driver-training instructor, training coordinator, detective-division investigator and equipment officer. He spent more than 12 years in the police motorcycle unit and taught driver training for nearly a decade. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
In 2007, Ford was injured in the line of duty when his police motorcycle was struck by another vehicle. After recovering, he returned to service and continued working for the Tulsa Police Department until his retirement. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
His police career was highly decorated, including the:
* Medal of Valor
* Purple Heart
* Survivors Club Award
* Multiple Top Cop Awards
* Two Chief’s Awards (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
That experience has shaped the legislation he has pursued in Oklahoma City.
A Record Focused on Public Safety
Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence
Ford has repeatedly worked to strengthen Oklahoma’s response to domestic violence.
His legislation has addressed protective orders, domestic-violence offenders and protections for victims attempting to escape abusive situations.
In 2022, Ford authored the Stephen Bernius Memorial Act, expanding domestic-abuse language concerning who may obtain a protective order. He also authored legislation increasing penalties for theft of catalytic converters, tires and wheels. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
In 2026, Ford advanced legislation creating a Persistent Domestic Violence Offenders Registry, designed to provide public access to information concerning qualifying repeat domestic-violence offenders. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
Standing Up for Sexual-Assault Victims
One of Ford’s most significant areas of legislative work has been improving how Oklahoma responds to victims of sexual assault.
In 2025, he authored legislation creating a statewide Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) coordinator position. The goal was to establish a network of trained examiners throughout Oklahoma so victims would have better access to timely forensic examinations. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
He also introduced legislation addressing notification to sexual-assault victims regarding forensic evidence collected in their cases.
And his work is continuing.
For the 2027 legislative session, Ford has announced plans to introduce a Victims of Sexual Assault Bill of Rights, built around victim autonomy, dignity, transparency, justice and healing. His proposal calls for a more coordinated, trauma-informed response among law enforcement, prosecutors, medical providers and victim-advocacy organizations. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
This is not simply another legislative issue for Ford.
It reflects his belief that victims should never become secondary to the system that is supposed to help them.
Holding Repeat Offenders Accountable
In 2026, Ford authored House Bill 4104, strengthening Oklahoma’s response to repeat “Peeping Tom” and clandestine-recording offenses.
The measure, signed into law, requires certain repeat offenders and offenders who secretly record people in private spaces to register as sex offenders. The law also increases penalties for specified repeat offenses. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
Ford’s message was straightforward:
Those who repeatedly invade the privacy of others should face meaningful consequences.
Protecting Oklahoma’s Critical Infrastructure
Ford also authored House Bill 4108, which was signed into law in 2026.
The legislation adds the operational areas of airports—including runways, taxiways, ramps, aircraft parking and storage areas, fuel-storage areas and maintenance areas—to Oklahoma’s critical-infrastructure protections.
The law establishes penalties for trespassing or willful damage in those protected areas. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
For Ford, airport security is not simply about protecting buildings.
It is about protecting travelers, commerce and infrastructure that Oklahoma depends upon.
Seeking Justice for Families with Cold Cases
In 2026, Ford also championed legislation establishing procedures for law-enforcement agencies to review violent-crime cold cases.
The measure passed the Oklahoma House 81–0, after passing the Senate 47–0. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
For a former police officer, the issue is personal.
Ford has spoken about the difficulty of telling families that there were no answers about what happened to their loved ones.
His work on cold cases reflects a simple principle:
Families who have waited years for answers deserve to know that their cases have not been forgotten.
Supporting the People Who Protect Oklahoma
Ford’s legislative record has also focused heavily on law enforcement and first responders.
In 2022, he helped champion pay raises for Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers and other law-enforcement and corrections officers.
He authored legislation addressing injured law-enforcement officers’ retirement benefits and survivor benefits, including House Bill 2065. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
His work earned recognition from the very people he has spent his career supporting.
- 2022 Legislator of the Year
- Oklahoma State Troopers Association
- Lifetime Award
- Concerned Oklahomans for the Highway Patrol Society
The Oklahoma House reported that both organizations recognized Ford for his work improving public safety and the lives and working conditions of law-enforcement officers and first responders. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
Protecting Children and Improving School Safety
Ford’s public-safety work has extended into Oklahoma’s schools.
In 2020, his “All Kids Buckled Up” legislation passed the House by a vote of 78–18, strengthening seat-belt requirements for young people ages 8 through 17. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
He also authored legislation addressing domestic-violence strangulation as a violent crime.
More recently, his legislative work has included school safety and education-related issues, including legislation concerning special-education leadership and parents’ access to student records. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
A Growing Legislative Role
When Ford was first elected in 2017, he brought decades of experience in public safety to the Legislature.
Today, that experience has translated into a larger leadership role.
He serves as Assistant Majority Whip and chairs the House Appropriations & Budget Public Safety Subcommittee. He has also served on the Criminal Justice Reclassification Coordination Council, appointed by House Speaker Charles McCall in 2020. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
The progression is significant:
Police officer → community leader → state representative → legislative leader on public safety.
BY THE NUMBERS
25+ Years
serving as a Tulsa police officer
12+ Years
in the Tulsa Police motorcycle unit
Nearly 10 Years
teaching driver training
2017
First elected to the Oklahoma House
2022
Oklahoma State Troopers Association Legislator of the Year
2022
Lifetime Award from Concerned Oklahomans for the Highway Patrol Society
2026
Assistant Majority Whip
2026
Chair, Appropriations & Budget Public Safety Subcommittee
2030
Current term-limit year listed by the Oklahoma House
(Oklahoma House of Representatives)
A Decade of Consistency
Over nearly ten years in the Oklahoma Legislature, Ross Ford’s record has remained centered on the people and issues he knows best.
He has worked to:
- Protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Strengthen law enforcement.
- Support first responders.
- Protect children.
- Improve school and airport safety.
- Hold repeat offenders accountable.
- Give families better opportunities for justice in cold cases.
And he continues to pursue changes he believes are necessary to make Oklahoma safer and more responsive to victims.
His proposed Victims of Sexual Assault Bill of Rights for the 2027 session is the latest example of that continued focus. (Oklahoma House of Representatives)
Service Isn’t Just a Title
Ross Ford’s public service did not begin when he was elected to the Oklahoma House.
It began decades earlier, when he put on a police uniform and accepted the responsibility of protecting others.
It continued through a line-of-duty injury, years of law-enforcement service, community involvement and his decision to take that experience to the State Capitol.
For Ross Ford, legislation is not simply about passing bills.
It is about solving problems, protecting people and making government work for the people it serves:
- Nearly a decade in the Legislature.
- More than 25 years in law enforcement.
- A lifetime of service.
- Ross Ford — serving Oklahoma, protecting Oklahomans and fighting for the people
