By Terell Wright
Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt selected Alan Armstrong, an energy executive, to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Markwayne Mullin until a new election takes place in November.
The announcement came a day after Mullin was confirmed Monday by the Senate as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The appointment of Armstrong as a temporary seat holder keeps the Senate's GOP majority at 53-47.
Armstrong, the chairman of Williams Companies, focused in remarks Tuesday morning on permitting reform, the cost of energy and infrastructure.
"We are falling behind on being the leaders of infrastructure," Armstrong said. "It is critical to our country's competitiveness in the long term."
President Trump has endorsed Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern for the Senate seat in the coming election, calling him a "true friend of MAGA." The Republican primary in the deep-red state is scheduled for June 16.
Armstrong said he had a positive meeting with Trump before his selection. Oklahoma state law prohibits Senate appointees from running for the seat in a subsequent election.
Stitt said the appointment is in line with the Trump administration's goals in energy policy.
"Few people have done more to champion the America First agenda to keep Oklahoma at the center of domestic production so that we deliver clean, reliable and affordable energy to American citizens than Alan Armstrong, " Stitt said.
Mullin succeeds Kristi Noem at the head of DHS. She became the first cabinet secretary to be fired in the second Trump administration amid questions about her leadership, after immigration agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota earlier this year.
Mullin begins his term as funding has lapsed at DHS. The shutdown has affected U.S. airports as unpaid security officers skip work. This week, the Trump administration sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist the TSA with operations.
Write to Terell Wright at terell.wright@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 24, 2026 10:40 ET (14:40 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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