Stitt plans Sunday meeting with Trump as Oklahoma prepares for interim U.S. Senate appointment

Washington talks focus on filling a potential Senate vacancy tied to a Homeland Security nomination

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Sunday, March 22, as the state prepares for an interim appointment to the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Markwayne Mullin. The meeting is expected to include the individual Stitt is preparing to name as his pick for the temporary post.

The appointment process was triggered by Trump’s March 5 announcement that he intends to nominate Mullin to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If Mullin is confirmed by the U.S. Senate and resigns his seat, Oklahoma law authorizes the governor to name an interim senator.

How the Oklahoma appointment is structured

Under the state’s current vacancy procedures, the governor’s appointee must be from the same political party as the departing senator. The interim senator is also required to formally pledge not to run for the seat in the next election cycle, a restriction designed to prevent an appointed incumbent from gaining an electoral advantage. The interim senator would serve until voters choose a long-term successor in the 2026 election cycle.

Oklahoma’s candidate filing period for the 2026 race is set to begin April 1, with the general election scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. The winner would take office for the next full term following the end of the current term.

Who is being positioned as the interim pick

Public reporting over the weekend identified oil-and-gas executive Alan Armstrong as Stitt’s likely selection for the interim Senate appointment, with the choice not expected to be finalized until after Sunday’s White House meeting. Armstrong has been a prominent business figure in the energy sector and previously led the Williams Companies.

Political ripple effects already underway

The prospect of a vacancy has immediately reshaped Oklahoma’s political calendar. U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern of Tulsa has already entered the race for the seat, and other well-known Republican figures in Oklahoma politics have been discussed publicly as potential contenders. With Oklahoma’s statewide federal contests typically dominated by Republican primary competition, the 2026 campaign is expected to draw significant interest regardless of who briefly holds the seat by appointment.

• March 5: Trump announces plan to nominate Mullin for Homeland Security secretary.
• March 22: Stitt schedules White House meeting with Trump alongside his likely interim appointee.
• April 1: Oklahoma’s candidate filing period begins for the 2026 contest.
• Nov. 3, 2026: General election scheduled to choose the long-term senator.

If confirmed, Mullin would not be able to simultaneously serve in the Senate and as Homeland Security secretary, requiring a resignation and an interim appointment.

Any appointment will ultimately hinge on the federal confirmation process and the timing of a Senate resignation, but state election deadlines mean campaign activity is already accelerating.