| Jonathan Nichols | |
| Birth Name: | Jonathan Edgar Nichols |
| Birth Date: | 14 November 1965 |
| Birth Place: | Bad Hersfeld, West Germany |
| Death Place: | Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| State Senate: | Oklahoma |
| District: | 15th |
| Term Start: | 2000 |
| Term End: | 2012 |
| Predecessor: | Trish Weedn |
| Successor: | Rob Standridge |
| Party: | Republican |
| Website: | Senator Nichols' Senate Website (2008 snapshot) |
| Children: | 2 |
Jonathan Edgar Nichols (November 14, 1965 – June 5, 2019) was an American politician who served as a member of the Oklahoma Senate from 2000 to 2012. He was a member of the Republican Party. Prior to that, he was an attorney and became Assistant District Attorney.
Born in Bad Hersfeld, West Germany,[1] Nichols lived in Norman, Oklahoma. He graduated from Northeastern State University and received his Juris Doctor degree from University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1993.[2] [3]
Nichols was an assistant district attorney in Cleveland County for over six years. As an assistant district attorney, Nichols represented the State of Oklahoma in the prosecution of Kevin Ott.[4] Following the trial, Ott's sentence of life without parole for possession of 3.5 ounces of methamphetamine was the subject of several national news articles[5] [6] [7] and an award-winning documentary produced by actors Brad Pitt, and Danny Glover, and musical artist John Legend.[8] [9] Nichols left the district attorney's office to pursue a career in politics. He was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in November 2000. He was re-elected two times, in 2004 and 2008, and became chairman of the Rules Committee of the Oklahoma Senate. He left office in 2013 when term limits prevented him from seeking a fourth term in office. Between 2016 and 2018, he served as vice president of government relations at the University of Oklahoma. Prior to his death, he worked as a Senior Policy Advisor for Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall.[10] [11]
Nichols was married and had two daughters. On June 5, 2019, Nichols was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound at his home in Norman.[12] His death was investigated as a possible homicide because "the firearm believed to have caused the wound was in an unexpected position," according to a police affidavit,[13] with The Oklahoman reporting that undisclosed law enforcement sources told them that a gun was found on a table across the room from the body.[11] However, police ultimately determined that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted and ruled out foul play, concluding their investigation on June 27, 2019.[14]
In 2001, he received the Most Courageous Legislator Award from the Higher Education Council of Oklahoma.[15]
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Nichols | Republican | 23,125 | 60.63% | |||
| Diane M. Drum | Democratic | 15,019 | 39.37% | |||
| Source:[16] | ||||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Nichols | Republican | 20,526 | 57.41% | |||
| Lisa Pryor | Democratic | 15,228 | 42.59% | |||
| Source:[17] | ||||||
| Candidates | Party | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Nichols | Republican | 16,722 | 56.22% | |||
| Pat Martin | Democratic | 13,021 | 43.78% | |||
| Source:[18] | ||||||