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By Gabe Whisnant
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Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Tuesday appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong to serve in the U.S. Senate through the end of the year, filling the seat vacated by Republican Markwayne Mullin after his confirmation as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Stitt, a Republican who had pledged to choose a “conservative voice,” selected Armstrong, the chairman and former CEO of Tulsa-based Williams Companies, one of the nation’s major pipeline operators. Armstrong took the oath of office on Tuesday afternoon.
“He’s a strong business leader who understands the power of free markets and limited government,” Stitt said.
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Mullin, who would have been up for reelection in November, was confirmed Monday to lead DHS, and Armstrong will serve the remainder of the term until a successor is elected.
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How Long Will Armstrong Serve in the Senate?
Armstrong’s appointment covers the final months of Mullin’s term, with voters set to choose a new senator in November. Under Oklahoma’s vacancy law, Stitt’s appointee must submit an oath affirming he will not file to run when the seat next appears on the ballot.
Stitt said he discussed the appointment in Washington with President Donald Trump and Senate leadership, describing the seat-filler as someone who can work across the aisle and focus on policy priorities such as permitting.
Who is Alan Armstrong?
Armstrong, 63, has not served in elected office. He spent decades at Williams Companies, which the AP report described as employing about 5,800 people and specializing in the collection, storage and transportation of natural gas. He became president and CEO in 2011 and later moved into the executive chairman role.
Armstrong said his top Senate priority will be making it easier to secure permits for major infrastructure projects, arguing the U.S. has made it increasingly difficult to build at scale.
“The truth is, it’s gotten very, very hard to build large-scale infrastructure, and it is so critical to our country’s competitiveness in the long term,” he said.
He also described meeting with Trump and said he believed his work on permitting reform — including relationships with senior energy officials — helped him earn support for the interim appointment.
“Those gentlemen know how hard I've been working to get permitting reform done, so he (Trump) was very welcoming and highly supportive,” Armstrong said. “It was a very interesting meeting.”
Former Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr. described Armstrong as “even-tempered” and inclined to build consensus rather than be driven primarily by ideology. Bartlett said Armstrong’s energy experience could be especially relevant as geopolitical tensions disrupt oil markets.
Politics Around the Vacancy: Hern Runs, Trump Endorses
The appointment immediately intersected with the coming campaign for a full term. Republican U.S. Representative Kevin Hern quickly announced his candidacy and has already been endorsed by Trump.
Stitt’s choice also drew attention because Armstrong has been a longtime supporter of the governor, contributing $8,500 to Stitt’s campaigns since 2018 — the maximum allowed under Oklahoma law, according to the AP report.
Stitt is scheduled to leave office in January and currently leads the National Governors Association. The AP report noted he made the pick weeks after Trump criticized him following a dispute involving attendance at the group’s annual meeting.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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