Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed oil executive Alan Armstrong to fill Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s Senate seat.
Mr. Armstrong will serve in the Senate through the end of the year to finish the last nine months of the term. Under Oklahoma law, he must agree not to run for a full term this fall.
“He’s a strong business leader who understands the power of free markets and limited government,” Mr. Stitt said in a Tuesday press conference.
Mr. Armstrong spent his career “fighting for Oklahoma’s energy industry and providing affordable, reliable energy to all of America,” he added.
The former CEO of Williams Cos. and now executive chairman of the Tulsa-based major pipeline operator has never served in elected office. He previously chaired the Department of Energy’s National Petroleum Council.
Former Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, Jr., said Mr. Armstrong is an ideal choice given his knowledge of the energy industry, especially with the U.S. experiencing increased oil prices due to the Iran war.
Mr. Armstrong said he plans to leverage his new role to pursue policies that take advantage of U.S. natural resources and enhance affordable energy.
“You travel around the world these days, you realize we are falling behind on being the leaders of infrastructure,” he said. “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.”
Mr. Armstrong admitted that he is “not exactly sure” what he’s getting into, but he said that he is encouraged by his support and looks forward to doing the most with his time in the Senate.
Mr. Stitt, a Republican, pledged to pick a “conservative voice” to fill the vacant congressional seat. Mr. Armstrong is expected to be sworn in Tuesday.
The governor worked with President Trump on the appointment, as the vacancy generated nationwide interest.
“We had a lot of applications, a lot of people applying for this,” Mr. Stitt said. “I went to D.C., and I met with the president, the leadership of the Senate, John Thune, and asked, ‘What do you need in this appointment?’ What I got back was ‘We need someone who can work across the aisle to get permitting reform done.’”
Oil tycoon Harold Hamm, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell and two of Mr. Stitt’s advisers, Dustin Hilliary and Donelle Harder, were also contenders.
With Mr. Armstrong unable to run this year, GOP Rep. Kevin Hart quickly announced his candidacy to run for the next term and was endorsed by Mr. Trump.
He said he was the “most prepared” candidate and highlighted his alignment with the president.
Mr. Mullin was confirmed Monday to take over DHS in a largely party-line vote. Mr. Trump tapped him to replace former Secretary Kristi Noem, who was demoted from the Cabinet position on March 5.
