Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) won Tuesday’s Oklahoma Republican Senate primary, all but ensuring a November general election victory in the solidly red state.
Hern, endorsed by President Donald Trump, was heavily favored to beat several GOP challengers and will face the Democratic nominee to serve in the Senate seat vacated earlier this year by now-Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Confirmed to his current role in March to take over for former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Mullin was a first-term senator who also previously served in the House. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) tapped Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-OK), a former energy executive, to fill the vacancy, but Oklahoma law prevents the appointed Armstrong from seeking election to the office.
Since the seat is already set to appear on the ballot this year, state law also allows the November winner to take the seat immediately, meaning Hern is likely to assume office in the fall.
The GOP-controlled seat is one of several that are open this cycle but forecast to remain in Republican control. Others are in Montana, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, and Wyoming.
Several Republicans are vying for Hern’s seat in Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, which is anchored in Tulsa.
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Trump-endorsed pastor Jackson Lahmeyer is facing four rivals: state Rep. Mark Tedford, businessman Nathan Butterfield, former congressional aide Jed Cochran, and Kim David, chairwoman of Oklahoma’s utility and transportation regulatory agency. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will head to an Aug. 25 runoff.
Hern has played influential roles in shaping House GOP policy as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and former chairman of the Republican Study Committee.