Kevin Hern wins Oklahoma Republican Senate primary

Oklahoma Senate Race: Kevin Hern Wins Republican Primary

The 1st District Congressman will compete for the open seat in the reliably red state.

NBC News projects that Representative Kevin Hern has won the Republican Senate primary in Oklahoma. He is now set to face the general election for the seat previously held by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Mullin resigned from the Senate in March, having originally replaced former Secretary Kristi Noem. Senator Alan Armstrong was appointed to fill the seat on an interim basis until the general election.

Hern, first elected to the House in 2018, left that chamber to run for the Senate. He represents Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, which covers most of Tulsa, and serves on the influential Ways and Means Committee.

• Before entering Congress, Hern was a McDonald’s franchisee.
• He has expressed strong support for Trump’s policies on social media.

President Donald Trump endorsed Hern on Truth Social in March, calling him “a Great Patriot” and a “true friend of MAGA.” This endorsement is significant in a state where Trump remains highly popular.

Oklahoma is a reliably Republican state; Trump won it by 34 points in the 2024 election.

The seat was previously held by Senator Jim Inhofe, who retired.
Markwayne Mullin was elected in 2022 to complete Inhofe's term, before being tapped for the Homeland Security role.

Hern will now advance to the general election, where he is considered a heavy favorite.