OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to nominate Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to be homeland security secretary, leaving an unexpected Senate vacancy in deep-red Oklahoma.
Under a new Oklahoma law, if Mullin does leave his Senate seat, Gov. Kevin Stitt would be able to pick his successor. Stitt said in a statement Thursday that he would seek to appoint “a strong, small-government conservative voice to support President Trump.”
Mullin did not serve a full six-year term as he was first elected in 2022 to fill the unexpired term of the late U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, who resigned early.
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No matter who Stitt appoints, he won’t be a U.S. senator for long. The law bars the person from running in the next election, to be held in November, a move lawmakers said was meant to protect the seat from an incumbent’s advantage.
The vacancy of Oklahoma’s Senate seat could set off a series of political dominoes in the state. Those expected to consider running include U.S. Reps. Kevin Hern of Tulsa and Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma City, as well as former Oklahoma House Speaker TW Shannon, whom Mullin defeated in the 2022 Republican runoff.
Oklahoma’s three-day application period begins April 1. Republicans would be well-positioned to retain control of the seat.
