
Former Oklahoma legislator and respected civil rights attorney Ryan Kiesel died Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer. His death comes two weeks after his 45th birthday. A funeral service has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at Mayflower Congregational Church in Oklahoma City.
A Democrat from Seminole, Kiesel won election to House District 28 in 2004 after working for former Sen. Enoch Kelly Haney (D-Seminole). Kiesel won reelection twice but chose not to file in 2010. A year later, he became executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, where he supported the effort to pass significant criminal justice reforms in State Question 780 and worked to make those changes retroactive during a following legislative session. He departed the ACLU in 2020, establishing a lobbying practice primarily in the medical marijuana sector and joining Overman Legal Group.
“He was the first lawyer in Oklahoma I saw moving in a way that truly inspired me,” said Blake Johnson, a partner with Overman Legal. “Throughout his storied career, Ryan always devoted his extraordinary talent to work that both supported his family and improved his community. I admired him greatly.”
Megan Lambert, legal director for ACLU Oklahoma, also expressed admiration for Kiesel, who hired her fresh out of law school.
“He believed in me before I believed in myself and showed up so authentically that it gave me permission to bring my whole self to the work,” Lambert said. “He showed me what it means to put people first by living as a clear example of that compassion and empathy. He enacted a bold and unapologetic vision, prioritizing impact over perfection. Ryan spent his professional life giving his all to the fight for equity and justice for all Oklahomans. In the process, he taught us how to fight for ourselves.”
Friday night, former legislators also shared fond memories of Kiesel, who graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2006 during his first term in the House of Representatives. Years later, Emily Virgin followed the same path.
“I often teased him that I blamed him for my foray into politics,” said Virgin, who was elected to represent Norman as a Democrat in 2010 and who ultimately served as House minority leader. “When I was considering running for the Legislature in 2009, I was hesitant because I was also starting law school. This stranger from Seminole showed up in Norman one day to convince me that I could juggle a campaign and law school because he had done it, too. I feel lucky to have known Ryan, to have called him a friend, and to have had my life influenced by him.”
After he left the Legislature, Kiesel appeared as a regular guest on KOSU’s This Week in Oklahoma Politics program for years. His final appearance aired Dec. 13, speaking with host Michael Cross and fellow political analyst Neva Hill about a variety of current affairs.
“I’m heartbroken by Ryan’s passing,” Hill said. “He and I developed a wonderful friendship over the past decade in the KOSU studio every Thursday morning. While we were on opposite sides of the political spectrum, we enjoyed sharing our comments and views with genuine respect and civility. Ryan left us too soon, but his many accomplishments and contributions to the state he loved so dearly will echo for generations.”
Ryan Kiesel ‘will be greatly missed’
Kiesel’s sprightly spirit and sharp mind helped him stay engaged at the State Capitol long after leaving office.
As a college student, Rep. Forrest Bennett (D-OKC) interned with Kiesel during his time in the House.
“He didn’t take himself too seriously, but he took the job seriously. His campaign committee was called ‘a lot of people for Ryan Kiesel,’ for example. He presented an entirely different style of politics than I was used to, and what most people were used to,” Bennett said. “He stood out as a progressive fighter for the working class, outspoken in a way you wouldn’t expect from a legislator from rural Oklahoma.”
Bennett said Kiesel showed him “what it looks like to stand up for your values in the face of significant opposition.”
“He told me that, when he first got elected, he was encouraged to vote in such a way that he would get re-elected. And he did. But he felt like he compromised his principles because he made votes that didn’t align with what he knew to be right and what he knew would be best for his people,” Bennett recalled. “He said that he spent the interim feeling miserable. He’d gotten elected to the House, which had been a dream, but he felt empty. He resolved to vote his conscience that next year — an election year — come what may. He did so, and he said he went home and worked his ass off to explain his votes to his voters. They appreciated his honesty, and they sent him back.”
Former House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols (R-OKC) also praised Kiesel’s principles and called him “a great Oklahoman.”
“He was an example of how to be a zealous advocate while always conducting himself with grace and dignity,” Echols said. “We were on opposite sides of the political spectrum, but almost no one knows that prior to me being in the Legislature, he and I were on the same side of a religious freedom issue. He always stayed true to his principles. I was proud to count him as a friend. He will be missed.”
Early in his legal career, Kiesel worked for Reggie Whitten, a prominent attorney from Seminole.
“Ryan was a great guy and great lawyer. I grew up with his father and played in the band in Seminole High School with his father,” Whitten said. “I’m devastated to hear of his passing. He will be greatly missed.”
In November, Whitten and Kiesel both spoke glowingly about another Seminole County leader: beloved oilman and philanthropist Melvin Moran.
“I remember him calling me one day to ask if I would tone down the rhetoric in a campaign piece,” Kiesel told NonDoc. “When I asked him what he was referring to, Melvin said instead of saying I would ‘fight’ for a particular issue, he hoped that I could find a less confrontational way to communicate my support. I think of that every time I hear any candidate saying they will fight for something and remember how Melvin champions civility in all things — an admirable goal for all of us.”
Kiesel is survived by his wife, Allison, and their son Oliver, 13, and daughter Claire, 10. A memorial fund has been established to assist with their “education expenses in the future.”
(Editor’s note: Ryan Kiesel was counsel to the author and the Sustainable Journalism Foundation in ongoing Open Records Act litigation. This article was updated at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, to include information about services and a memorial fund.)