Inhofe, 87, is a defense hawk who serves as the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He is also a former chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where he drew the ire of environmentalists over his denunciations of climate change as a “hoax.”
Inhofe, whose Senate career started after his 1994 victory, won reelection as recently as 2020, and had already planned to make his current term his last. But his resignation would likely spark a furious GOP battle for a seat to represent one of the nation’s most conservative states.
If Inhofe makes his announcement by March 1, he’ll trigger an election this November for his successor to serve for the rest of his term through 2026.
A number of Oklahoma Republicans are viewed as potential contenders for the seat, including Gov. Kevin Stitt, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, former state House speaker T.W. Shannon, Oklahoma attorney general candidate Gentner Drummond, Inhofe chief of staff Luke Holland and Reps. Markwayne Mullin and Kevin Hern.
“Senator Inhofe’s early retirement has sent shockwaves through every political circle today,” said Oklahoma GOP strategist John Fritz. “This is going to be a bloodbath of stellar conservatives fighting it out in the primary. The one thing we know for certain is that Hell will freeze over before Democrats win this U.S. Senate seat.”