Inhofe Sought Trump's Support for Aide to Succeed Him in Senate

Outgoing Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., tried unsuccessfully to secure Donald Trump's support for his choice to succeed him in this year's special election, Luke Holland, a longtime Inhofe staffer and top aide.

But sources close to Inhofe told Newsmax the former president informed him he would not endorse Holland, 35, at this point, and he did not know any of the candidates in Oklahoma's sure-to-be contested primary this year.

Last week, Inhofe, 87, stunned supporters and opponents by announcing he would resign from office and thus set in motion a special election to succeed him.

Under Oklahoma election law, a special primary will be held June 28. Should no candidate win a majority of the votes, a run-off between the two top vote-getters will be held Aug. 23. 

Oklahoma has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1990, and the Republican nomination is considered tantamount to succeeding Inhofe in the fall.

Like Inhofe, Holland is considered a solid conservative, a Trump loyalist, and someone who believes America needs to embrace Christian values. 

But that could also describe other Republicans who are almost sure to enter the primary — among them Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., a millionaire businessman, and former state House Speaker T.W. Shannon. Having lost a primary contest in 2014 for the state's other Senate seat to present Sen. Jim Lankford, R-Okla., Shannon (who is part black and part American Indian) has since been a bank executive.

Sources close to Inhofe told Newsmax that both Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell had privately assured him they would not run for his seat. The same sources also said Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., (who holds the Tulsa-area House seat once held by Inhofe) is also now leaning against a Senate bid.

Although former chiefs of staff in the Senate have gone on to be senators themselves — notably the late Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C. — there is no precedent for a chief of staff immediately succeeding his boss.

The last time someone went from being a chief of staff to senator was Democrat Gale McGee, top aide to Sen. Joseph C. O'Mahoney, D-Wyo., who won the state's other Senate seat in 1958 by unseating Republican incumbent Frank Barrett.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.