Gary Banz is a retired American educator and Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

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Early life

Banz was born December 7, 1945 in Sylvia, Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

. He joined the United States Army in June 1968 and seved until January 1970. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal on March 19, 1970. He also served in the United States Army Reserve from December 1982 until September 1990. He was awarded the Army Achievement Medal on May 7, 1985.

Banz married Linda and had three children who graduated from Midwest City High School.
Banz taught in various Oklahoma school districts before retiring and eventually running for office.

Elections

Banz was first elected to House District 101 with no Democratic opposition in 2004. However, he did face two primary opponents, Jeremy Sellers and Todd Dealy. He faced no opposition in 2006 In 2008, he defeated Democratic challenger Donnie Lewis.