Trump’s pick for Department of Homeland Security secretary leaves a vacancy in the U.S. Senate in the deep red state of Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plan to nominate U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullen of Oklahoma as Homeland Security secretary will leave an unexpected vacancy in the deep-red Oklahoma Senate.

Read more: Who is Markwayne Mullen, Trump’s new nominee for the Department of Homeland Security?

Under a new law in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt will be able to choose a replacement for Mullen if he actually vacates his Senate seat. Stitt said in a statement Thursday that he would look to appoint a “strong, small government conservative voice to support President Trump.”

Mullen did not complete his full six-year term, as he was first elected in 2022 to fill the remaining term of the late US Senator Jim Inhofe, who resigned early.

He watches: Mullen says he wasn’t expecting a call from Trump on DHS, but he’s “excited to get started.”

Whoever Stitt appoints will not be a U.S. Senator for long. The law prohibits this person from running in the next elections, which will be held in November, a move that lawmakers said is aimed at protecting the seat from the advantage of incumbency.

A U.S. Senate seat vacancy in Oklahoma will likely set off a series of political dominoes in the state. Among those expected to consider the race are U.S. Reps. Kevin Hearn of Tulsa and Stephanie Pace of Oklahoma City, and former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon, who Mullen defeated in a 2022 GOP runoff.

Read more: 3 ways Americans are trying to overcome polarization

Oklahoma’s three-day application period begins April 1. Republicans would be heavily favored to retain control of the seat.