Staff Reports
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt did exactly what conservative voters expect: he tapped a proven business leader, Alan Armstrong, to temporarily fill the Senate seat left open by Markwayne Mullin. The governor kept his promise to choose a “conservative voice” and handed the people of Oklahoma a steady, pro-growth steward rather than a partisan lightning rod.
Armstrong is no political novice in the private sector — he’s the longtime chairman and former CEO of Williams Companies, a Tulsa-based energy and pipeline firm, and he brings decades of experience running real American industry. He has made clear that cutting red tape and fixing permitting so we can build infrastructure and energy projects again will be his priority, the kind of common-sense agenda that creates jobs and strengthens national security.
Markwayne Mullin has been confirmed to lead the Department of Homeland Security, winning Senate approval in a largely party-line vote that underscored the urgency of restoring order at the border and in our airports. The former Oklahoma senator — a loyal ally of President Trump — now moves into a critical role where Republican resolve matters more than ever, and conservatives should be grateful the administration chose a fighter for homeland security.
Under Oklahoma law Armstrong will serve through the end of the year and must sign an affidavit promising not to run in the upcoming election, giving Republicans time to nominate a strong, Trump-aligned conservative for the full term. Already Rep. Kevin Hern has jumped into the race, and the GOP field is preparing to deliver a true conservative to Washington rather than a corporate-friendly, squishy moderate. This temporary appointment is about keeping the seat in conservative hands, not short-term political gamesmanship.
This is exactly the kind of pragmatic, results-focused leadership conservatives should champion: a private-sector problem-solver with a record of creating jobs, protecting energy infrastructure, and cutting bureaucratic red tape. Let Democrats keep their career politicians and endless investigations — Oklahoma sent a businessman who knows how to get things done and defend American interests at home and abroad.
Patriots should rally behind Governor Stitt’s pick and support Secretary Mullin as he takes the helm at DHS to restore order and accountability. The left’s hysteria and performative outrage won’t stop a determined conservative majority from securing our borders, protecting American workers, and prioritizing energy independence — and today’s appointments are a clear step in that direction.
