Congressman Markwayne Mullin has thrown his hat into the ring for U.S. Senate, announcing via a video on Twitter at noon Saturday that he is in the race.
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe announced Friday that he is resigning from the seat effective at the end of this congressional session. The sudden opening created much speculation about who would run for his Senate seat.
Mullin tweeted Saturday: “I’m in! We need an America First conservative fighting for Oklahoma in the Senate.”
His tweet included a video of himself driving to Oklahoma City for his son’s high school wrestling tournament.
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He says in the video that he’s been getting a lot of calls asking whether he’s going to run for the open Senate seat.
“I’m in. I’m not one to back away from a fight,” he says. “In fact, I believe 100% that if you’re going to get in a fight, you win it. So we’re in it to win it.”
His tweet includes a link to a newly created Mullin Senate campaign website.
Mullin will have to give up his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in order to run for the Senate seat.
Also Saturday, Republican Jackson Lahmeyer announced that he will stay in the race against fellow Republican Sen. James Lankford, who is running for reelection this year.
Lahmeyer said in an email to media that he had been encouraged to switch races and run for the Senate seat that will be left open by Inhofe’s resignation, but he said he thinks he is the only person who can defeat Lankford in the GOP primary.
At the same time he announced his retirement, Inhofe endorsed his former chief of staff, 35-year-old Luke Holland, to replace him in the Senate. Holland, who has not run for office before, resigned from his staff position Thursday night so he could enter the Senate race.
Holland, who has a residence in Tulsa, held a press conference Friday in Oklahoma City to announce his candidacy.
Gov. Kevin Stitt, who had been thought to be a possible candidate for the open Senate seat, said he has no plans to run.
“Due to the questions from press, let me be clear about this upcoming election cycle. I am fully committed to serving the State of Oklahoma as Governor and seeking the support of Oklahomans for another four years in this role,” Stitt said Friday.
“My focus continues to be on delivering a Top Ten state by working with my friends in the Legislature to advance transformational, conservative reforms that protect freedoms and benefit all 4 million Oklahomans.”
Inhofe’s retirement, effective early next year, means a special election will be held for his seat on the same schedule as other elections this year.
Randy Krehbiel contributed to this story.
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.
