Rep. Markwayne Mullin trained as an MMA fighter. Now, the Republican is ready for his next big cage match: a crowded primary for a coveted U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma.
Mullin, who is serving his fifth term representing Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District, made his announcement in a video message on Saturday. The Oklahoma Republican said he had been weighing the decision on whether to hop into the race with his family for roughly two weeks when he first heard rumors that Sen. Jim Inhofe, an 87-year-old Republican, planned to retire before the end of his term.
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“Our whole thing for starting to enter the political world to begin with was because we’re fed up with just sitting back and seeing things unfold in front of you, and I have a saying that you’ll never change anything you’re willing to tolerate,” he told the Washington Examiner in an interview.
“I feel like that if we’re going to fight for American values, and we’re going to put America first as a whole, not as a party, not as anything, but as a whole, we’ve got to have someone that’s going to actually sit there and do that,” he said.
“So for us, it’s where can we be the most effective if I’m going to leave Oklahoma every week, and I’m going to have to say bye to my wife and my six kids, and I’m going to go to D.C. to get something done, where can we be best positioned to do that with the skill set that we have? And we felt like that would be in the United States Senate,” he added.
Mullin, who operated his family’s plumbing business, said that if he is elected, he would like to focus on energy issues, deregulation, and health policy. He added that he feels his time as a small business owner helped him gain valuable experience in understanding policies that affect everyday people.
“When I decided to run for the House of Representatives, regulations is what pulled me here. You know, I’ve said this multiple times: It is not the role of the federal government to create jobs. It’s a role of the federal government to create an atmosphere for job creators for entrepreneurs to thrive and create those jobs,” he said.
“And when you start seeing the appointments that are going to these agencies, and how they change constantly every time we get a new administration, it makes it very hard for business owners, for entrepreneurs, for the backbone of this economy to really comply, because they’re shifting sand underneath you.”
Mullin has closely aligned himself with former President Donald Trump’s policies and remains popular among the Trump base, which his allies hope will give him an edge in the race.
Mullin told the Washington Examiner that he has not yet spoken to Trump or Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell about his bid.
“Obviously, [House Minority Leader] Kevin McCarthy and I are very good friends and we’ve had multiple conversations, but I haven’t spoken to President Trump or Leader McConnell,” he said.
The Oklahoma Republican’s name recognition saw a sharp incline last summer when he engaged in an unsanctioned trip to Afghanistan to rescue an American family. The move was met with criticism from Democrats and some of his GOP colleagues, but Mullin asserted he stands by his decision to go.
“What we saw really quick was this administration was lying to the American people, and we knew that. I never wanted to go over there, and it’s not my role, really, at that time to go over there, because the administration has people in place through Secretary Blinken, Gen. McKenzie, and Secretary Austin, and Chairman Milley had the ability to do that, and they didn’t — instead, they were saying that every American that wanted out could get out,” he continued.
“But they were lying to the American people, and I’m not going to sit back and be idle. And so, if we have an opportunity, and we have the ability to make a difference, to get one, to get two, to get three, or to get 300 out, these are American citizens and LPRs, which are legal permanent residents of the United States, that’s our responsibility, and I don’t believe in leaving anybody behind,” Mullin said.
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Since Inhofe’s retirement announcement last week, the senator’s longtime chief of staff, Luke Holland, whom Inhofe endorsed, and Oklahoma Republican state Sen. Nathan Dahm have jumped into the race, with others expected to enter the ring.
The Oklahoma GOP primary is expected to take place in June.
