Mayor Kevin Stitt Selects Alan Armstrong for Senate Appointment

On Tuesday, Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma announced that he has appointed Alan Armstrong to take over Markwayne Mullin’s seat in the U.S. Senate.

This follows the Senate’s approval on Monday of President Donald Trump’s nomination of Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which passed with a vote of 54-45. Mullin is slated to be sworn in today.

During a press conference, Stitt described Armstrong as “a proud third-generation Oklahoman, a staunch conservative, a respected business leader, and a devoted family man with an inspiring story of the American Dream.”

Armstrong, who will resign from his position on the board of directors at Williams, has deep ties to the energy sector—Williams is known as an “energy infrastructure company.”

Meanwhile, there appears to be progress regarding the government shutdown, as Marin’s confirmation as head of the U.S. Marshals Service seems to signal a possible resolution.

Interestingly, while the majority of Republicans supported Mullin’s confirmation, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Republican to oppose it. On the Democratic side, John Fetterman from Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich from New Mexico were the only ones in favor.

It’s worth noting that Armstrong won’t be able to run for the Senate seat in the upcoming election, according to state law, which mandates that a prospective appointee file an oath confirming they will not be a candidate the next time the seat is contested.

The political landscape is shifting somewhat, with Trump-supporting Senate hopefuls gaining traction in light of the recent developments.

Marin will step in to replace Kristi Noem as a special envoy for security initiatives concerning the Western Hemisphere.