Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) endorsed Rep. Kevin Hern’s bid for the open Senate seat in Oklahoma to replace Sen. Markwayne Mullin on Thursday, as Republicans look to avoid a messy primary in the red-leaning state.
Thune called Hern a “proven conservative leader” and supporter of their shared Republican agenda. “He will be a great asset in the Senate and has my full support and endorsement,” Thune said in a statement.
The seat is open after President Donald Trump tapped Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as Department of Homeland Security secretary.
Trump had previously endorsed Hern for the Senate seat in a post on Truth Social.
“A true friend of MAGA, Kevin is now running for the United States Senate, where I know he will continue to do an incredible job,” Trump wrote. “Kevin is strongly supported by the fiercest MAGA Warriors in Oklahoma, and the most Highly Respected Leaders in the United States Senate!”
Hern is running in November for a full term, but Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will need to appoint a successor in the coming weeks to serve until then. By state law, the person who is appointed to fill the seat temporarily cannot run for the full term.
Other major Republican figures in the state — including Stitt and Rep. Stephanie Bice — have said they would not run for the Senate seat.
