With less than three weeks to go until the formal candidate filing period, Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s pending confirmation as secretary of Homeland Security has had quite the ripple effect in Oklahoma politics.
Kevin Hern, who has represented Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District since 2019, announced last week he would run to succeed Mullin in the Senate. State Rep. Mark Tedford, who was elected to his Tulsa-area seat unopposed in 2022, announced a congressional bid to replace Hern.
The shakeup could also trickle down to the governor’s race. The Hill reported that Mike Mazzei, a former state senator who has loaned his campaign millions of dollars in his gubernatorial bid, could throw his name into the Senate race. Former secretary of Public Safety Chip Keating has also been floated as a possible candidate or temporary appointment.
