President Donald Trump’s move Thursday to nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin to run the Department of Homeland Security set off an immediate sprint for the soon-to-be-open Oklahoma Senate seat.
Rep. Kevin Hern will soon launch a bid for Senate, a source familiar with the matter told NOTUS.
“Oh, absolutely,” Hern said when NOTUS asked if he was considering a run for the Senate seat.
“Stay tuned for the announcement next week,” Hern said, but he wouldn’t say specifically whether that announcement was related to launching a Senate bid. “I’m always interested in where I do the best to help Oklahomans and this country,” he said.
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Rep. Stephanie Bice is also considering a bid for Senate, a source familiar with the matter told NOTUS. Her office confirmed she’s looking at the possibility.
Rep. Tom Cole told reporters that he didn’t want to endorse anyone before they announced, but that Hern would be “an excellent choice.”
“He’s my colleague. I sort of had him in mind as the next chairman of Ways and Means when Jason [Smith] is done. So he’ll do a fabulous job with whatever he does,” Cole said.
“It’s a little premature for me to say anything until we see who the field is, but I don’t have many closer friends than Kevin Hern, except maybe Stephanie Bice, so I’ve got to be pretty careful,” he said.
As for whether Cole is considering a run for Senate: “No,” he said. “Not at all.”
“No Senator Cole,” he added.
Rep. Frank Lucas was less declarative on whether or not he is interested in Mullin’s seat. “I would say probably, that I and my colleague, Mr. Cole, are the calmest members of the political group in Oklahoma, so you’d have to ask everybody else but us.”
When NOTUS followed up, Lucas said, “The answer should be that there are a number of very qualified people in the federal delegation and at home, who I suspect are very interested in that, and we should all watch and see how the field forms.”
“I think Markwayne will be an amazing secretary. I’m a little surprised that he was willing to do it,” Lucas later added.
Rep. Josh Brecheen wouldn’t say whether or not he was interested.
“I am so excited for Markwayne Mullin,” Brecheen told NOTUS. “I think everyone owes Markwayne a chance to be excited for him and understand how this is going to showcase Oklahoma leading the way for national security.”
Sen. James Lankford told reporters Thursday on Capitol Hill that Mullin would “do a great job” as DHS secretary and didn’t indicate any knowledge or endorsement of a clear successor.
“That I don’t know yet,” Lankford said when asked who he thought should take the seat. “Yeah, we got a ways to go on that one, but it’ll be quick.”
Under Oklahoma law, Gov. Kevin Stitt will appoint a successor to Mullin, but that successor must sign an affidavit promising not to run for the seat in November’s election.
Some names Republicans are floating as a possible temporary appointments to the position are Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, former state Secretary of Public Safety Chip Keating, former state Attorney General John O’Connell, longtime Stitt adviser Donelle Harder and Oklahoma businessman Dustin Hilliary.
This story has been updated with comment from members of Congress.
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