2022 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma

The 2022 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate for Oklahoma. The election took place concurrently with the regularly scheduled election for Oklahoma's other Senate seat. The candidate filing deadline was between April 13 and 15, 2022.

This special election was held to fill the remaining four years of incumbent Republican Senator Jim Inhofe's term. In February 2022, Inhofe announced that he would resign early at the end of the 117th United States Congress on January 3, 2023. He was first elected in a 1994 special election with 55% of the vote to succeed Democratic senator David Boren in the wake of his impending resignation to become president of the University of Oklahoma. Most recently, Inhofe was re-elected to a fifth full term in 2020 with 62.9% of the vote.

Former U.S. Representative Kendra Horn secured the Democratic nomination by default, while the primary election for the Republican nomination took place on June 28, 2022. U.S. Representative Markwayne Mullin won the Republican primary runoff on August 23, defeating former State House Speaker T. W. Shannon. Mullin ultimately won the election.

Mullin, a member of the Cherokee Nation, became the first Native American to serve in the U.S. Senate since fellow Republican Ben Nighthorse Campbell retired from Congress in 2005, and the first Native American representing this state since Robert Owen in 1925. Conversely, Horn won Oklahoma County, making her the first Democrat since 2008 to carry any Oklahoma county in a Senate election.

Republican primary
On February 25, 2022, Jim Inhofe, the state's longest-serving U.S. Senator, announced he would leave office at the end of the 117th Congress, triggering a special election for his U.S. Senate seat in Oklahoma. A crowded field of candidates was expected in the Republican primary following the announcement of Inhofe's retirement.

Luke Holland, Inhofe's former chief of staff, launched his campaign for Inhofe's seat on the same day with Inhofe's endorsement. The next day, Markwayne Mullin, a U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district, announced his campaign. By February 28, Oklahoma State Senator Nathan Dahm had announced he was switching his campaign from running for Oklahoma's Class III seat to running for the special election seat. On March 8, former United States National Security Council chief of staff Alex Gray announced his campaign. T. W. Shannon, a former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, officially announced his campaign on March 11. Scott Pruitt, former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, filed to run on April 15.

Nominee

 * Markwayne Mullin, U.S. representative for OK's 2nd congressional district



Eliminated in runoff

 * T. W. Shannon, former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2013–2014), former state representative for the 62nd district (2007–2015), and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2014

Eliminated in initial primary

 * Michael Coibion
 * Nathan Dahm, state senator for the 33rd district (2012–present) and candidate for OK's 1st congressional district in 2010 and 2018
 * Jessica Jean Garrison, author, dietician and daughter of former state senator Earl Garrison
 * Randy Grellner, physician
 * Luke Holland, former chief of staff for U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe
 * Adam Holley, office manager
 * Laura Moreno
 * Scott Pruitt, former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (2017–2018) and former attorney general of Oklahoma (2011–2017)
 * Paul Royse
 * John Tompkins, orthopedic surgeon and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020

Withdrew before primary

 * Alex Gray, former United States National Security Council chief of staff (Endorsed Luke Holland in primary and Markwayne Mullin in runoff)

Declined

 * Stephanie Bice, U.S. representative for OK's 5th congressional district (running for re-election)
 * Jim Bridenstine, former administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2018–2021) and former U.S. representative for OK's 1st congressional district (2013–2018)
 * G. T. Bynum, mayor of Tulsa
 * Gentner Drummond, attorney (running for attorney general)
 * Kevin Hern, U.S. representative for OK's 1st congressional district (running for re-election)
 * Jackson Lahmeyer, pastor (ran for the Class 3 U.S. Senate seat)
 * Frank Lucas, U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 3rd congressional district (running for re-election)
 * Charles McCall, Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
 * Kyle McCarter, former U.S. Ambassador to Kenya
 * John M. O'Connor, attorney general of Oklahoma (running for attorney general)
 * Matt Pinnell, lieutenant governor of Oklahoma (running for re-election)
 * R. Trent Shores, former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma (2017–2021)
 * Kevin Stitt, governor of Oklahoma (running for re-election)
 * Greg Treat, president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate
 * J. C. Watts, former U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 4th congressional district (1995–2003)
 * Paul Wesselhoft, legislator for the 9th district of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (2007–present) and former state representative for the 54th district (2004–2016)

Results
[[File:2022 United States Senate special Republican primary election in Oklahoma results map by county.svg|thumb|250px|Initial primary results by county: {{legend|#e27f7f|Mullin}}

{{legend|#ffb2b2|40–50%}}

{{legend|#e27f7f|50–60%}}

{{legend|#d75d5d|60–70%}}

{{legend|#d72f30|70–80%}} {{legend|#5fd35f|Shannon}}

{{legend|#afe9af|30–40%}} {{legend|#ff9955|Grellner}}

{{legend|#ffdac1|20–30%}} ]]

Results
[[File:2022 United States Senate special Republican primary runoff election in Oklahoma results map by county.svg|thumb|250px|Primary runoff results by county: {{legend|#e27f7f|Mullin}}

{{legend|#e27f7f|50–60%}}

{{legend|#d75d5d|60–70%}}

{{legend|#d72f30|70–80%}}

{{legend|#c21b18|80–90%}} {{legend|#5fd35f|Shannon}}

{{legend|#5fd35f|50–60%}} ]]

Democratic nomination
Former U.S. Representative Kendra Horn was the only Democrat to file to run and was automatically awarded the Democratic nomination.

Candidates

 * Kendra Horn (Democratic), former U.S. Representative for OK's 5th congressional district
 * Markwayne Mullin (Republican), U.S. Representative for OK's 2nd congressional district
 * Robert Murphy (Libertarian), retired University of Oklahoma data technician, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and carpenter
 * Ray Woods (independent), candidate for U.S. Senate in 2014

Polling

 * Aggregate polls
 * Graphical summary

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Oklahoma (largest city: Oklahoma City)

By congressional district
Mullin won all 5 congressional districts.