US EditionTrump’s pick for DHS secretary leaves US Senate vacancy in deep-red Oklahoma
Gov. Kevin Stitt must appoint a Republican who cannot run in the November election to fill Sen. Mullin’s seat, serving about nine months until the next term begins.
- On Thursday, March 5, 2026, President Donald Trump plans to nominate U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as Homeland Security secretary, creating an unexpected Senate vacancy in deep-red Oklahoma.
- Under a new Oklahoma law, Gov. Kevin Stitt will appoint Mullin's replacement if he leaves his Senate seat, and Stitt said Thursday he wants `a strong, small government conservative voice to support President Trump`.
- Lawmakers said the law bars the governor's appointee from running in the November election, to protect the seat from incumbency advantage.
- The vacancy is likely to set off political dominoes, with U.S. Reps. Kevin Hern of Tulsa, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma City, and former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon considering the race, while Republicans remain heavily favored.
- Oklahoma's three-day filing period begins on April 1, accelerating the scramble as Mullin, first elected in 2022 to fill Jim Inhofe's unexpired term, leaves the Senate vacancy.
21 Articles
21 Articles
From The Octagon To The Border: Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s Hardline Path To DHS Power - Tampa Free Press
President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin will take over as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security by the end of the month. The move marks a significant shift for the agency as it navigates a period of intense public scrutiny and stalled funding negotiations on Capitol Hill. Mullin, a member […] From The Octagon To The Border: Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s Hardline Path To DHS Power
Who plans to run for Markwayne Mullin’s Senate seat? Here’s what we know:
With Sen. Markwayne Mullin preparing to leave the U.S. Senate to become President Donald Trump’s new Secretary of Homeland Security, speculation is intensifying about who could temporarily fill the seat and who may run for it permanently — with some potential candidates already signaling interest while others tell News 4 they have no plans to run.
The Daily Caller
State Lawmakers Planned For Senate Vacancy Five Years Prior To Trump Picking Markwayne Mullin
The GOP supermajority in Oklahoma’s legislature passed a law in 2021 that now comes into play after President Donald Trump’s nomination of Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Trump announced Thursday that he will remove DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from her post effective March 31, and nominated […]
Reporter.net
Duncan BannerOklahoma Voice: Gubernatorial appointee would become Oklahoma’s next U.S. senator until voters can decide
OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Kevin Stitt would have 30 days to appoint a new U.S. senator should Markwayne Mullin resign to accept a Cabinet position in the Trump administration.
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