Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., announced Wednesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Markwayne Mullin.
Mullin has been named as the next Secretary of Homeland Security.
In his announcement video, Hern, chair of the Republican Policy Committee, stated: “I’ve always been America First, because America is the only country in the world where a kid like me who grew up dirt poor and worked his way out of poverty can build a business and earn your trust to serve Oklahomans.”
He added: “The American dream is under threat by the radical left and RINO Republicans who oppose President Donald Trump’s America First agenda and want to turn the United States into a Third World country. That’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate: to ensure that President Trump has a loyal ally.”
Hern, first elected in 2018, represents Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Tulsa metropolitan area. The former astronautical engineering student later owned a string of McDonald’s franchises.
President Donald Trump’s selection of Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as head of the Department of Homeland Security has set off a scramble to fill the deep red Senate seat.
GOP Reps. Stephanie Bice and Josh Brecheen are also considering running for the seat, along with state Sen. Dusty Deevers.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has yet to name who will serve out the rest of Mullin’s term, which ends in January 2027. He has 30 days to appoint his replacement.
Lawyers have questioned whether state law requiring the appointee to sign an oath not to run for a full term can be enforced.
The filing deadline for the Senate seat is April 3, and the primary election will occur on June 16.
Hern’s run for Senate will also mean an open House seat in Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, with several Tulsa Republicans expressing interest in running.
No Democrat has won a Senate election in Oklahoma since 1990, and the seat is considered “Solid Republican,” according to the Cook Political Report. Hern’s congressional district is also considered “solid Republican.” No Democrat has won an election there since 1984.
By Sam Barron | Wednesday, March 11, 2026
