Jackson Lahmeyer, a Trump-endorsed megachurch pastor and rising figure in Republican politics, suspended his campaign for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District on Wednesday, days after a Daily Mail investigation revealed allegations about an intimate relationship with a campaign fundraiser.
In a statement, the 34-year-old married father of five said he made the decision “after prayerful consideration with my wife, Kendra, and my team over the last twenty-four hours.”
He said he did not want to become a distraction to his family, church, or voters in the heavily Republican district.
“I sincerely appreciate all the support along the way,” Lahmeyer said. “I will never forget those who stood by me and fought alongside us when I needed them the most.”
Trump Withdraws Endorsement
Following Lahmeyer’s exit, President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement and shifted his support to Lahmeyer’s Republican rival, State Representative Mark Tedford.
Trump said on Truth Social that he appreciated Lahmeyer’s “hard work under difficult circumstances” while expressing continued personal support for the pastor.
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Just days earlier, Lahmeyer had entered the race with Trump’s backing, national attention from his “Pastors for Trump” organization, and connections to conservative religious circles, including involvement with Trump’s White House Faith Office.
Former Frontrunner’s Rapid Fall
Lahmeyer’s campaign quickly unraveled after he failed to secure the 50 percent threshold needed to win the Republican nomination outright. He finished behind Tedford in Tuesday’s primary and was forced into a runoff election.
The Oklahoma 1st District has been held by Republicans since 1987, making the GOP nomination the key contest in the race. Before the scandal emerged, Lahmeyer had been viewed as the overwhelming favorite, with betting odds reportedly giving him an 89 percent chance of victory.
Political Fallout
The controversy followed a Daily Mail report detailing Lahmeyer’s relationship with Caitlin Simmons Key, a former Miss Oklahoma USA who worked as a campaign fundraiser.
Key alleged that she and Lahmeyer kissed several times during the campaign and shared personal messages, including one in which she said Lahmeyer wrote, “I enjoyed those lips.”
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She said their relationship developed after she worked on his unsuccessful 2022 Senate campaign and continued as she went through a divorce.
“Eventually, the conversations crossed the line of probably what most people would consider appropriate for a married man and a single woman,” Key said.
Messages, Wife’s Confrontation
According to the report, Lahmeyer’s wife, Kendra, discovered the messages after Trump endorsed him in May. She later confronted Key in a text message, accusing her of damaging the family.
After the first Daily Mail report, Lahmeyer acknowledged only that he had “crossed a boundary line through text messaging” and criticized the publication as a “British tabloid.” He has otherwise declined further comment.
Key defended her decision to speak publicly, saying voters deserved information about someone seeking political office and leading a church.
She also alleged that payments continued to reach her after she was removed from campaign activities, claiming they were intended to keep her silent. Lahmeyer has not publicly responded to those claims.
