Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe, a Republican who has served in Congress for 35 years, plans to resign in early 2023, setting up a special election to fill his seat. He plans to step down after a successor is chosen in November, according to numerous media reports.
Oklahoma law states that Inhofe must announce his resignation by March 1 to trigger a special election that could be held in the same year as this year’s general election. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, will now be able to appoint a successor to fill the seat for the remainder of Inhofe’s term.
Inhofe was reelected in 2020 to a six-year term, receiving over two thirds of the vote in the general election.
Inhofe, 87, was first elected to the Senate in 1994 after serving for seven years in the House of Representatives. He has served as the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and is the former chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
