Hon. Brad Henry

Governor Brad Henry represents clients in both the public and private sectors in government and administrative law.

 

Elected in 2002, Governor Henry served as Oklahoma’s 26th governor. One of only four governors to serve two consecutive terms, Governor Henry, a democrat, was re-elected in 2006 by the largest vote margin in modern times and the second largest margin in state history. During his time in office, he consistently received high approval ratings in public opinion surveys of his governorship, earning him recognition as one of the most popular state chief executives in modern history.

 

After taking office in the midst of the worst budget crisis in state history, Governor Henry forged a historic bipartisan agreement among legislative leaders that shielded education and health care from massive cuts. Under his leadership, Oklahoma experienced an economic revival, with record budget shortfalls becoming record budget surpluses. His efforts led to the largest personal income tax cut in state history and the elimination of the capital gains tax on Oklahoma-based property.

 

Governor Henry placed significant emphasis on the improvement of public education. His initiatives raised teacher salaries and benefits to historic levels, put more resources into the classroom and set higher academic standards for students. The governor also expanded Oklahoma’s early childhood education programs, which are now rated among the best in the country, and dramatically increased funding for college scholarship programs.

 

From his time in office, Governor Henry’s healthcare successes include the Insure Oklahoma program, a nationally-recognized public-private partnership that helps small businesses provide health coverage for their employees. Governor Henry also initatied programs to increase the number of insured children in the state and funded two new state facilities focusing exclusively on cancer and diabetes research and treatment.

 

During his two terms, Governor Henry served as Chairman of the Council of State Governments, the Southern Growth Policies Board, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. He was also a member of the National Governors Association, the Southern Governors Association, the Western Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association and currently serves on numerous boards, including the national board and executive committee of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, as well as the board of directors of NIC Inc. (NASDAQ: EGOV), the nation’s leading provider of official government websites, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. He is a former member of the board of the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism and was a charter member of the Governors’ Council of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Before his election as governor, Governor Henry practiced law with his father, Charles, in Shawnee and served ten years in the Oklahoma State Senate, chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee and serving as vice-chair of the Senate Economic Development Committee.

 

In 2010, Governor Henry was appointed by President Barack Obama to the six-member Council of Governors. The Council, created by an Executive Order of President George W. Bush, works closely with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and other defense and national security advisors to exchange views, information and advice on matters of mutual interest pertaining to the National Guard, homeland defense, and synchronization and integration of state and federal military activities.

 

Governor Henry was a President’s Leadership Scholar at the University of Oklahoma, where he received the Gold Letseizer Medal as the Top Senior Graduate and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1985. In 1988, Governor Henry was awarded his law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he served as managing editor of the Law Review.

 

A third generation Oklahoman, Governor Henry was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and is married to the former Kimberley Blain. They have three daughters, Leah, Laynie and Baylee.