Republican Rep. Kevin Hern, a fiscal hawk with a pro-business outlook, is running for Oklahoma's newly open Senate seat. The former McDonald’s franchise owner, who has served four terms in the House, is the first well-known Republican to launch a Senate bid in the ruby-red state after President Donald Trump’s decision last week to nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security secretary. “The American dream is under threat by the radical left and RINO Republicans who oppose President Trump's America First agenda and want to turn the United States into a Third World country,’’ Hern said Wednesday in his launch video. “That's why I'm running for the U.S. Senate: to ensure President Trump has a loyal ally.” Hern, 64, is running for a full, six-year term. Under Oklahoma law, Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, is empowered to appoint a candidate to fill the remainder of Mullin’s current term, which expires in January. That person must sign an affidavit stating that they do not intend to run for a full term in November. Hern is the latest House Republican to seek higher office and announce his departure from the chamber. And he may not be the last: Oklahoma Rep. Stephanie Bice said she is also weighing a run for Mullin’s seat. “I’ve received encouragement from every corner of this great state to run for the US Senate. And it’s something I’m carefully considering,’’ she posted on social media last week. Hern has already picked up several key endorsements. Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott called him “a strong conservative leader who … would be a great addition to the Senate.” Indiana Republican Sen. Jim Banks said Hern is a “strong, pro-Trump conservative who will make a great US Senator.” In his announcement, Hern leaned on his biography. He grew up in poverty in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, and his family relied on government safety net programs. While his family received food stamps, Hern has regularly pushed for more stringent work requirements for safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. “I've always been America First, because America is the only country in the world where a kid like me who grew up dirt poor can work his way out of poverty, build a business and earn your trust to serve Oklahomans,’’ he said in his launch announcement. Hern was in the early stages of a career as an aerospace engineer at Rockwell International when the 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion effectively halted the industry. He lost his job months after the explosion and was out looking for a new gig when a friend introduced him to a training program at McDonald’s. He was immediately hooked and completed the program in February 1987. He resolved to save up $100,000 to become a franchisee. More than a decade later, he bought his first McDonald’s restaurant franchise, which eventually grew to a string of more than 20 franchises. Hern initially teased a bid to replace former Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker when the California Republican was ousted from the role in October 2023. But after speaking with all 221 Republican Conference members, he threw out that idea, calling a potential race between three candidates for speaker damaging for party unity. During that leadership shuffle, Hern also considered trying to replace House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana if Scalise became speaker. But that plan fell through after the conference unanimously backed another Louisiana Republican, Mike Johnson. Hern then served as the chair of the Republican Policy Committee, but must step down from that role in order to run for Senate in accordance with House GOP conference rules. Republican state Rep. Mark Tedford announced Wednesday that he will seek Hern's 1st District seat--and kicked off his run with a $500,000 personal loan to his campaign. "I didn't come up through politics," said Tedford, who owns an insurance agency, said in a social media post. "I came up through business. I know what it means to build a company, meet payroll and deal with the real world consequences of government decisions." Paul V. Fontelo contributed to this report.
