The Oklahoma Senate seat being vacated by Senator Markwayne Mullin’s elevation to homeland security secretary has been all but handed to Representative Kevin Hern after President Trump endorsed him and the other Republicans believed to be interested in the race said they would not run.
Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Hern, who was first elected to the House in 2018 after a career as a McDonald’s franchisee, calling him “a true friend of MAGA” in a social media post on Friday night.
Hours earlier, Representative Stephanie Bice, Republican of Oklahoma, announced on social media that she would not pursue the Senate seat and would instead seek a fourth term in her House district, which includes most of Oklahoma City. Earlier in the week, Ms. Bice indicated that she had “received encouragement from every corner of this great state” to run for the Senate and was considering mounting a campaign.
Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, who cannot seek a third term in office this year, also said he would not run for the seat.
Mr. Trump kicked off the Oklahoma Senate drama last week when he announced Mr. Mullin would replace Kristi Noem, the embattled homeland security secretary, by the end of March. Mr. Mullin’s Senate term expires at the end of this year, and the state’s filing period for federal offices is April 1 to April 3, requiring candidates to make decisions to start campaigns quickly.
Oklahoma is one of the nation’s most Republican states. Mr. Trump won all 77 of its counties in each of his presidential campaigns. Republicans have held all five of the state’s House seats since 2021.
Oklahoma is the second red state with an open-seat Senate race this year in which Mr. Trump and Republicans have cleared the field for a chosen candidate. In Montana, Senator Steve Daines withdrew his name from the ballot minutes before the state’s filing deadline, allowing Kurt Alme, who had been serving as the state’s top federal prosecutor, to win the Republican nomination without opposition.
Should Mr. Mullin be confirmed as homeland security secretary and vacate his Senate seat, Mr. Stitt will need to appoint someone to serve in the Senate for the rest of this year. Oklahoma law requires a Senate appointee to sign an affidavit declaring he or she will not seek re-election to a full term.
Reid J. Epstein is a Times reporter covering campaigns and elections from Washington.
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