More than a few people have indicated interest in the seat held by U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who was nominated by President Trump last week to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Gov. Kevin Stitt could appoint himself, but many expect he instead may be a candidate in the June Republican primary.
“I will be looking to appoint a strong, small government conservative voice to support President Trump and protect Oklahomans’ way of life,” said Stitt, who has 30 days after Mullin’s resignation to appoint a successor. Trump set the date for Mullin becoming the Homeland Security secretary for March 31.
But more interest is developing over who will file for the Senate seat being vacated by Mullin. An election this November will determine who will serve the next six-year term as a senator. A primary will be held in June for each party. A candidate must receive more than 50% of the votes in the primary to advance to the November election; if not, a runoff will be held in August.
Those seeking the full six-year term must file nominating petitions with the state’s election board beginning April 1. Filing closes on April 3.
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma city was among the first to express an interest in the position.
“I’ve received encouragement from every corner of this great state to run for the US Senate. And it’s something I’m carefully considering,” said Bice on X.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, of Tulsa, who considered running when former U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe announced plans to retire in February 2022, has also expressed interest in the position.
“Stay tuned for the announcement next week,” Hern told reporters in the U.S. Capitol.
But both Bice and Hern have little name recognition outside their own House districts unlike Stitt, who has served as the state’s governor since 2019 and is completing a term as the chair of the National Governor’s Association, should he decide to run.
It’s been more than 30 years since a Democrat, former OU President David Boren, was elected to the U.S. Senate from Oklahoma. No Democrat has emerged yet to run in the Democratic Party primary in June, but that didn’t stop the party chairman from criticizing Mullin.
“Senator Mullin has a big job ahead of him restoring America’s trust in a department that’s been reckless and harmful,” said Erin Brewer, Oklahoma Democratic Party chair. “Unfortunately, Oklahomans know all too well that his track record of duck and cover, insider trading, and fawning media appearances will do nothing to keep our communities safe.”
Stitt will have no shortage of people seeking the appointment to a term that will end Jan. 3, 2027.
At least five people are rumored to be interested in the appointment Stitt will make. Only one person has formally announced their interest in the position. Billionaire Harold Hamm, chairman emeritus of Oklahoma City’s Continental Resources has strong ties to President Trump, having donated to the construction of the new White House ballroom. According to NOTUS, Hamm called both Gov. Stitt and President Trump to ask for the appointment.
Other candidates rumored to be seeking appointment to the position include Nathan Dahm, a former state senator; David Ostrowe, the state’s chief operating officer; former attorney general John O’Connor, and Dustin Hilliary, an Oklahoma State University regent.
In 2021, Senate Bill 959 was enacted, amending Oklahoma Statutes Title 51, Article 10, and Title 26, Articles 12-101, requiring any person appointed by the governor to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy to sign an oath stating they would not file as a candidate in the actual election. Before 2021, there were few restrictions.
Senate Bill 959 was proposed after lawmakers were concerned about the discussion of Inhofe’s retirement, as many believed that a governor’s new appointee would run again and would naturally have the upper hand.
Other states, such as Tennessee and Wisconsin, impose time limits on when an appointee can run for the position again; however, Oklahoma has the strongest restrictions on executive appointees.
This is the first opportunity that Oklahoma will get to see the bill in its full enactment.
Senate Pro Temp Lonnie Paxton, who proposed the bill in 2021, said that the bill’s method isn’t exactly foolproof.
“It’s really not enforceable from the standpoint of kicking somebody off the ballot,” Paxton told KOSU. “It’s enforceable to make him sign it and put it out there. But when it comes time, if somebody was running and they were challenged…their opponents can certainly hold it up and say ‘the first thing this person did was lie to everybody when they said they wouldn’t run for that office.’”
Gaylord News reporter Leah Smith contributed to this report.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.
