{"id":2583486,"date":"2026-03-24T20:19:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T00:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oklahoma-governor-names-energy-executive-to-fill-dhs-secretary-markwayne-mullins-senate-seat\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T20:21:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T00:21:05","slug":"oklahoma-governor-names-energy-executive-to-fill-dhs-secretary-markwayne-mullins-senate-seat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oklahoma-governor-names-energy-executive-to-fill-dhs-secretary-markwayne-mullins-senate-seat\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma Governor Names Energy Executive to Fill DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin\u2019s Senate Seat"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Foklahoma-governor-names-energy-executive-to-fill-dhs-secretary-markwayne-mullins-senate-seat%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2583486&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong too fill the remaining term of Sen. Markwayne Mullin after Mullin was confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Armstrong, the former Williams Companies chairman and CEO, is described by Stitt as a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >strong business leader<\/a> who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-to-expect-from-kevin-warsh-trumps-pick-to-lead-the-fed\/\" title=\"What to expect from ... Warsh, ...\u2019s pick to lead the Fed\">supports free markets<\/a> and limited goverment and is aligned with president Trump on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/under-trump-americans-have-seen-their-best-wage-growth-in-40-years\/\" title=\"Under ..., Americans Have Seen Their Best Wage Growth In 40 Years\">energy policy<\/a>. oklahoma law, though, prevents armstrong from running in the November election for Mullin\u2019s seat. Armstrong has pledged to work on reforming the federal permitting process for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of ...\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">energy infrastructure<\/a> and said he will learn as he transitions to the Senate,noting that stepping into the role feels like stepping \u201coff into the abyss.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Energy executive Alan Armstrong has been picked by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to fill the unexpired term of former Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, now that Mullin has been confirmed as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a strong business leader who understands the power of free markets and limited government,&rdquo; Stitt said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/national\/2026\/03\/oklahomas-governor-picks-energy-executive-alan-armstrong-to-fill-us-senate-seat-through-end-of-year\/?utm_source=referral&amp;utm_medium=offthepress&amp;utm_campaign=home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WTOP-TV<\/a>. Armstrong had been the board chairman and former CEO of Williams Companies, a Tulsa-based pipeline operator.<\/p>\n<p>Oklahoma law prevents Armstrong from running in November&rsquo;s election, when Mullin&rsquo;s seat would have been up for grabs.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Alan is strongly aligned with President Trump on energy policy,&rdquo; Stitt said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/katv.com\/news\/nation-world\/oklahoma-republican-energy-executive-alan-armstrong-picked-to-replace-markwayne-mullin-in-senate-governor-kevin-stitt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KATV-TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Few people have done more to champion America First agenda to keep Oklahoma at the center of domestic production so that we can deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy to American citizens than Alan Armstrong,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This was definitely a tough decision on one hand, but on the other hand it was kind of a no-brainer because I really wouldn&rsquo;t wanna be sitting around in my retirement thinking, &lsquo;Gosh, I could have contributed and done something,&rsquo;&rdquo; Armstrong said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-OK) is sworn into the U.S. Senate. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/e1S565Ogtk\">pic.twitter.com\/e1S565Ogtk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cspan\/status\/2036527769140535517?\">March 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>  Although Armstrong&rsquo;s appointment was announced Tuesday morning, by afternoon, he had been sworn in, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/rollcall.com\/2026\/03\/24\/energy-executive-armstrong-tapped-to-replace-mullin-in-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Roll Call<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Before leaving for Washington, Armstrong said he wanted to reform the process for getting federal permits for energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The truth is, it&rsquo;s gotten very, very hard to build large-scale infrastructure, and it is so critical to our country&rsquo;s competitiveness in the long term. &hellip; It&rsquo;s hard for any kind of infrastructure to get built, and that really is holding our country back,&rdquo; Armstrong said.<\/p>\n<p>Armstrong said entering the Senate is &ldquo;a little bit like I&rsquo;m stepping off into the abyss.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a lot of learning to do, but I&rsquo;m going to be listening to people that I have a lot of respect for,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Even before Mullin&rsquo;s appointment was confirmed, Trump had supported Republican Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma to fill the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-mexico-congressional-election-poses-early-test-for-democrats\/\" title=\"New Mexico Congressional Election Poses Early Test for Democrats\">seat left vacant<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Kevin Hern, from the Wonderful State of Oklahoma (where I won all 77 out of 77 Counties, in 2016, 2020, and 2024!), is a Great Patriot, and FANTASTIC Congressman! A true friend of MAGA, Kevin is now running for the United States Senate, where I know he will continue to do an incredible job,&rdquo; Trump posted on <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/116224634088762061\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/repkevinhern?\">@repkevinhern<\/a> is a strong conservative who&rsquo;s delivered for Oklahoma families &amp; fought to make America safer and more prosperous.<\/p>\n<p>We need Kevin&rsquo;s leadership in the Senate where he will be a powerful voice for conservative values.<\/p>\n<p>Support Kevin here: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YYZyhKShbo\">https:\/\/t.co\/YYZyhKShbo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TomCottonAR\/status\/2035078185696600449?\">March 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Kevin is strongly supported by the fiercest MAGA Warriors in Oklahoma, and the most Highly Respected Leaders in the United States Senate! As the Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee, Kevin is doing a tremendous job advancing our AMERICA FIRST Agenda,&rdquo; Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In the U.S. Senate, Kevin will continue to fight tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Champion our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Ensure American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Strengthen our Military\/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,&rdquo; Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Kevin Hern will be an outstanding Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement &ndash; HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!&rdquo; Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has selected energy executive Alan Armstrong to fill the remainder of Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin\u2019s term after Mullin was confirmed as homeland security secretary. Armstrong, a former Williams Companies chairman and CEO from Tulsa, is described by Stitt as a strong business leader who supports free markets and limited government, and who aligns with President Trump on energy policy. Because Oklahoma law bars Armstrong from running in the November election, he won\u2019t be on the ballot for Mullin\u2019s seat. Armstrong indicated the decision was tough but understandable given the chance to contribute, and he was soon sworn in. He has said he wants to reform the federal permitting process for energy infrastructure, arguing that the current system makes large projects too hard to build and hurts the country\u2019s long-term competitiveness. The piece also notes Trump\u2019s prior support for Republican Rep. Kevin Hern for the seat and related endorsements<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2583487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Armstrong-sworn-in.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7492,76487,56760,12474,3740],"class_list":["post-2583486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-dhs","tag-energy-executive","tag-mullin-2","tag-oklahoma","tag-senate"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Armstrong-sworn-in.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2583486"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2583490,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583486\/revisions\/2583490"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2583487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2583486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2583486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2583486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}