Former 5th District Congresswoman Kendra Horn on Tuesday became the first Democrat to enter the race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Jim Inhofe.
“I’ve been knocked down a time or two in my life just like most of us, but my parents taught me that when you get knocked down you don’t give up — you get back up and get to work. I’m not done fighting for Oklahoma, and that’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate,” Horn said in her announcement.
Declared Republican candidates include 2nd District Congressman Markwayne Mullin, former Inhofe Chief of Staff Luke Holland, former Oklahoma Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon and state Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow. First District Congressman Kevin Hern said Tuesday he has decided not to seek Inhofe’s seat.
Horn was the surprise 5th District winner in 2018 but lost narrowly to Republican Stephanie Bice in 2020. The 5th District has since been redrawn into a safe Republican seat.
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A Chickasha native, Horn is a graduate of the University of Tulsa and Southern Methodist University and was an aide to current University of Tulsa President Brad Carson when Carson served as 2nd District congressman.
“As a fifth generation Oklahoman, I come from hard-working people who live the Oklahoma Standard, rooted in service to their community. My parents taught me to always show up for my neighbors especially when times are hard, because we are all in this together,” said Horn.
She enters the race as a prohibitive underdog against whomever Republicans nominate in their primary and possible runoff.
“Elected offices don’t belong to a political party; they belong to the people,” said Horn. “That’s why in Congress, I worked across the aisle to deliver real results that mattered. Oklahomans are tired of partisan politics that ignore the important issues our communities face.”
Tulsa World Newsroom: The story behind Sen. Jim Inhofe with political reporter Randy Krehbiel
The longtime Oklahoma Republican is expected to announce his retirement soon. Tulsa World Editor Jason Collington looks back at Jim Inhofe as Tulsa mayor and other noteworthy events in his political career with veteran Tulsa World political reporter Randy Krehbiel. Find the Tulsa World Newsroom podcast on Apple, Google and Spotify.
Running or rumored? U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe's seat draws candidates across Oklahoma
Kendra Horn
Any Democrat is an extreme longshot, but former 5th District Congresswoman Kendra Horn might have the best chance of at least making the Republican nominee know they’ve been in a fight.
Horn lost narrowly to Republican Stephanie Bice in 2020. The 5th District has since been redrawn into a safe Republican seat.
Horn, 45, changed her House campaign committee from Kendra Horn for Congress to Kendra Horn for Senate. Her campaign account had about $57,000 at the end of 2021; that money can be transferred to the Senate race.
TW Shannon
This will be T.W. Shannon's second try for the Senate, in both cases under somewhat unusual circumstances. Eight years ago, Shannon gave up the Oklahoma House speaker's chair to enter the Republican primary to replace Sen. Tom Coburn, who had submitted his resignation in February, effective the following January.
Shannon wound up losing to then-Congressman James Lankford in a runoff.
Nathan Dahm
State Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, was elected Oklahoma Republican Party chairman on Saturday.
Markwayne Mullin
In the wake of last week’s mass shooting in Tulsa, 2nd District Congressman Markwayne Mullin, told ABC News that any discussion of firearms must consider the “purity” of the Second Amendment.
Kevin Hern
Hern
Trent Shores
Trent Shores, former U.S. attorney for the Northern District, may not be well-known to the public but is highly respected within the Republican Party.
Jackson Lahmeyer
Jackson Lahmeyer is already running for Senate — Oklahoma’s other seat — and informed supporters in an email on Saturday that he intends to stay in the race against incumbent Republican James Lankford and will endorse and rally his supporters behind a candidate for the Inhofe seat.
Kevin Stitt
Gov. Kevin Stitt built up record savings including in the Rainy Day Fund that gives the state opportunities in tax reform, education funding and infrastructure upgrades.
Matt Pinnell
Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell has national contacts from his days as a high-level official in the Republican Party, but won't run for the seat.
"I truly love serving as Oklahoma's Lt. Governor, and I know we're making a real difference in this position. We're well on our way in making Oklahoma a top 10 state, but there's more work to be done. I'm dedicated to continuing that work for years to come," he said. "Lisa and I have four kids still at home, from a sophomore to a kindergartner. I'm committed to being their dad first and Oklahoma's Lt. Governor second."
Scott Inman
Nobody gives an old-fashioned stem-winder like Democrat Scott Inman, pictured in 2017, the former state House minority leader and one-time gubernatorial candidate. Inman confirmed to Tulsa World he has no intention to run.
Mike Workman
A frequent candidate for Oklahoma office, Democrat Mike Workman, pictured in 2016, says he’ll announce his candidacy Friday.
