Stitt picks energy executive Alan Armstrong as next Oklahoma senator

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt tapped energy executive Alan Armstrong to replace incoming Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Senate, he announced in a press conference Tuesday.

Armstrong is the executive chair of Williams Companies, an energy company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stitt called him a “strong business leader” who values “free markets and limited government.”

“Alan’s story, as you guys get to know him, reflects the very best of Oklahoma,” he said. “Our values, our work ethic, and our pursuit of the American dream that is alive and well in the state of Oklahoma.”

Armstrong will serve until a successor is elected in November. Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) is the heavy favorite to win a full term.

Armstrong is prohibited by Oklahoma law from seeking election to the seat this fall.

Trump tapped Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as DHS secretary in early March, giving Stitt, a term-limited governor who had squabbled with Trump over a National Governors Association invitation dispute, the power to select a replacement.

But Trump and Stitt patched things up amid the Senate selection. The pair discussed several names, including Armstrong, Stitt’s former chief of staff Dustin Hillary and oil magnate Harold Hamm, in a White House meeting. But Stitt eventually settled on Armstrong, who never previously held public office.

“This was definitely a tough decision on one hand,” Armstrong said at the Tuesday press conference. “But on the other hand, it was kind of a no-brainer, because I really wouldn’t want to be sitting around in my retirement thinking, ‘gosh, I could’ve contributed and done something.’”

Several key Oklahoma Republicans, including Rep. Stephanie Bice and Stitt, weighed entering the race to replace Mullin in November.

But none opted to challenge Hern, who secured an endorsement from the president just two days after announcing his bid in mid-March, effectively clearing the field ahead of the primary election on June 16.