U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Tulsa, will not run for the U.S. Senate being vacated by the retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe but instead will seek another term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Herm was first elected in a special election to fill the First District  spot left by former U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine. Hern was elected to a full term in 2020.

Meanwhile, State Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has decided to run for Inhofe’s seat. Dahm had previously announced he would run against Sen. James Lankford for the other senate seat from Oklahoma.

Dahm has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky.

” I’ve been standing up against the mandates of Dr. Fauci, but I need your help. That’s why I’m endorsing Nathan Dahm for Senate,” Paul said. “I know Nathan Dahm will join me in demanding that Fauci is immediately fired and removed from office. Time and time again, Nathan Dahm has proved that he’s a man of courage and conviction who will break the current mold of big government and endless spending.”

Inhofe is endorsing fellow Republican Luke Holland, who was on Inhofe’s staff. Holland resigned when he declared for the race.

“I’m a Jim Inhofe Republican,” Holland said. “He has always had the Lord as his true north and has always said what he believes.”

U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, will not run for another term in the House but has declared his intention to run for Inhofe’s seat.

“I am a Christian, a family man and a proud supporter of President Trump and I am looking forward to representing our conservative Oklahoman values in the United States Senate,” Mullin said.

Former Democrat Congresswoman Kendra Horn has also thrown her hat in the ring for Inhofe’s seat. She represented Oklahoma’s Fifth District (mostly Oklahoma City) from 2019 to 2021 when she lost her bid for re-election.  “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, elected offices don’t belong to a political party, they belong to the people,” said Horn. “That’s why in Congress, I worked across the aisle to deliver real results that mattered. Oklahomans are tired of partisan politics that ignore the important issues our communities face.”

Formal filling is on April 13-15.