U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is poised to become the first Native American Senator since Colorado Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell retired in 2005.

Mullin has clinched the Republican nomination for the open U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma with a landslide victory. The five-term congressman beat former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon on Tuesday with 65 percent of the vote in a runoff that was necessary because neither candidate received 50 percent of the vote in the June primary.
Current incumbent Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) announced in February he would resign his seat, which set up the special election.
Mullin, who is highly favored to win the Senate seat, will face off against the Democratic Senate nominee former Rep.Kendra Horn (D-OK) in the November midterm election. The Senate seat is considered solid Republican.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mullin cautioned supporters against celebrating too early.
“We still have an election in November. We obviously understand this state leans red, but we’re not going to take that lightly either,” Mullin said.
If elected, Mullin will be the first Native American to serve in the U.S. Senate since former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO), who is a tribal citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, retired in 2005.
Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Mullin operated a plumbing business.
He is a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, who endorsed him in Tuesday’s runoff.
After the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resident two Mondays ago, Mullin released a statement that, in part, read:
"What happened last night at the private residence of President Donald Trump should send chills down every American's spine. The motivations for this investigation are overtly suspicious. An invasion like this is absolutely unprecedented.”
More Stories Like This
Photos from the 2023 White House Tribal Nations SummitNative News Weekly (December 10, 2023): D.C. Briefs
December 10th is the 75th Human Rights Day
Vice President Harris Addresses Indian Boarding Schools at the White House Tribal Nations Summit
Native News Online Reporter Selected for Oxford Climate Reporting Fellowship
Together, we can educate, enlighten, and empower.
November is celebrated as “Native American Heritage Month.” At Native News Online, we amplify Native voices and share our relatives’ unique perspectives every day of the year. We believe every month should celebrate Native American heritage.If you appreciate our commitment to Native voices and our mission to tell stories that connect us to our roots and inspire understanding and respect, we hope you will consider making a donation this month to support our work. For those who commit to a recurring donation of $12 per month or more, or make a one-time donation of $150 or greater, we're excited to offer you a copy of our upcoming Indian Boarding School publication and access to our quarterly Founder’s Circle meetings and newsletter.