We’d like to send our congratulations to State Representatives Chris Kannady and Emily Gise!
Thanks to multiple tips via the Ogle Mole Network, we’ve learned the lawmakers – a pair of traditional “family values” conservatives who represent neighboring districts on the metro's southern side – have reportedly fallen in love and are apparently planning to leave their spouses to be with one another.
In fact, Emily filed for divorce from her husband last week in Pittsburg County Court in McAlester.
Far from her home base of southwest OKC, it just happens to be the same county where Kannady was born and raised and has plenty of connections:
According to our OSCN research, neither Kannady – nor his wife – has yet to file for divorce, but he has apparently been sleeping on a couch at the Capitol.
Well, at least that’s what an Ogle Mole told me, and I’m not sure if they were joking!
To find out if that was true, I sent a text message to Chris’s personal cell number to ask that and other questions about his relationship with Gise, but as of publication time, he hasn’t gotten back with me:
For what it's worth, rumors and accusations about Kannady's and Gise’s relationship have been running rampant around the Capitol for months now, which would explain why someone clandestinely snapped this pic of the couple riding a bus together at a legislative event in April:
First of all, let this be a lesson that Ogle Moles are always watching.
Second, look at those lovebirds! They’re so in love they look like they’ve been together for 20 years!
Hehe. Just kidding. Gise is only 32, so even under old Oklahoma law, she would have been way too young to marry 20 years ago.
According to the Ogle Mole Network, the alleged relationship became official of sorts a few weeks back during a work trip.
Apparently, Kannady and Gise attended a conference for the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States in San Diego with other lawmakers and lobbyists in July...
While there, I guess they revealed to some colleagues that they were seeing each other and had fallen in love.
Since that personal Disclosure Day moment, the couple's relationship has been the subject of much Capitol fodder and speculation.
This is probably because Kannady – who is term-limited – is one of the most powerful lawmakers at 23rd and Lincoln.
An attorney, he is influential with dark-money groups and has essentially served as the Speaker’s fixer, representing several Republican lawmakers who found themselves in legal trouble. Basically, he’s spent years operating as one of the chamber’s behind-the-scenes bosses.
Gise, meanwhile, is a freshman lawmaker who has enjoyed a remarkably quick rise through the Capitol ranks. She was handed a vice chairmanship right out of the gate, carried some higher-profile bills and has already picked up three different ‘40 Under 40’-type honors.
It will be interesting to see how this news will affect their political careers moving forward.
Will it allow Kannady to cling to power after term limits finally boot him from the Capitol, perhaps by turning Gise into his legislative proxy, political heir or extremely affectionate House liaison?
As for Gise, will it hurt her electability back home? And even if voters in her district don’t care, will it cost her political points with her own caucus? Politicians are a petty and jealous bunch!
Then again, maybe everyone will be supportive! After all, it’s not every day that two Oklahoma lawmakers come together and produce something other than a terrible bill!
Anyway, we’ll keep watch for additional developments and let you know if Gise or Kannady change the family section of their legislative bios. They could probably use a refresh.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
