Markwayne Mullin, TW Shannon To Compete In Runoff For Open US Senate Seat

The race to fill Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe’s seat is headed to a runoff.

Related: Sen. James Inhofe Announces Resignation Plans

U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin and former state Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon advanced and will now face off in the August runoff.

Mullin said he thought this would be a tough race but is pleased with his turnout.

Mullin pulled in 43.6 percent of the vote. The winner of the seat needed 50 percent to avoid the August 23 runoff.

This is Shannon's second race for U.S. Senate.

Mullin has been in Washington as a U.S. Representative since 2013.

"I am looking forward to debating my opponent on the critical issues facing our country," Shannon said. "Oklahoma conservatives deserve to see where each of us stands."

"If we are going to ever change Washington D.C., we need to send true-to-citizen legislatures up there," Mullin said. "That means that resume shouldn’t say political, political, political. It should say you have signed both sides of the checks."

In the general election, either one of these candidates will go up against Democratic candidate Kendra Horn.

The Republican candidate will be heavily favored to retain the seat in the fall.

Oklahoma has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in more than 30 years.

Prior to his stint in the U.S. Senate, Inhofe was a U.S. Representative and was also mayor of Tulsa.