History of Markwayne Mullin in Timeline
Markwayne Mullin is an American businessman and Republican politician currently serving as the junior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma since 2023. He won a special election in 2022 to fill the remainder of Jim Inhofe's term. Notably, Mullin is the first Native American U.S. Senator since 2005 and the second Cherokee Nation citizen ever elected to the Senate. Prior to his Senate tenure, Mullin represented Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023.
1907: Robert Latham Owen Became a Senator
Robert Latham Owen became a senator in 1907.
1925: Robert Latham Owen Retired
In 1925, Robert Latham Owen, the first Cherokee Nation citizen elected to the Senate, retired.
July 26, 1977: Markwayne Mullin Born
On July 26, 1977, Markwayne Mullin was born. He is an American businessman and politician.
1996: Attended Missouri Valley College
In 1996, Markwayne Mullin attended Missouri Valley College, but he did not graduate.
1997: Took over Family Business
In 1997, at the age of 20, Markwayne Mullin took over his father's business, Mullin Plumbing, when his father became ill.
2001: Tom Coburn Served the District
Tom Coburn served as the representative for the district in 2001.
2005: Last Native American Senator Retired
In 2005, Ben Nighthorse Campbell retired, and after that there was no Native American senator until Markwayne Mullin was elected.
November 2006: First Mixed Martial Arts Fight
Between November 2006 and April 2007, Mullin fought in three mixed martial arts fights, winning all three.
April 2007: Last Mixed Martial Arts Fight
Between November 2006 and April 2007, Mullin fought in three mixed martial arts fights, winning all three.
2010: Received Associate's Degree
In 2010, Markwayne Mullin received an associate's degree in construction technology from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology.
June 2011: Boren Announced Retirement
In June 2011, U.S. Representative Dan Boren announced that he would retire at the end of 2012.
September 2011: Mullin Declared Candidacy
In September 2011, Markwayne Mullin declared his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District seat, branding himself as an outsider with the slogan "A rancher. A businessman. Not a politician!"
2012: Won Congressional Nomination
In 2012, Markwayne Mullin won the Republican primary runoff election to gain the congressional nomination.
2012: Promised to Serve Only Three Terms
In 2012, when Markwayne Mullin first ran for Congress, he promised to serve only three terms (six years).
2012: Owned Multiple Businesses When Elected to Congress
In 2012, when elected to Congress, Mullin owned Mullin Properties, Mullin Farms, and Mullin Services, in addition to Mullin Plumbing. He also reported income from family companies and bank shares.
2012: Hosted Home Improvement Radio Program
In 2012, when he was first elected to Congress, Markwayne Mullin hosted House Talk, a home improvement radio program syndicated across Oklahoma, on Tulsa station KFAQ.
August 2013: Adopted Twin Daughters
In August 2013, Markwayne Mullin and his wife, Christie Renee Rowan, adopted twin daughters.
2013: Became U.S. Representative
In 2013, Markwayne Mullin became the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district.
2014: Mullin Reelected
In 2014, Markwayne Mullin was reelected with 70% of the vote, defeating Democrat Earl Everett.
June 2016: Defeated Jarrin Jackson in Republican Primary
In June 2016, Mullin defeated Jarrin Jackson by 27 percentage points in the Republican primary.
2016: Proposed Ali Expansion Act
In 2016, Mullin proposed legislation that would have forced the UFC to share financial information with fighters and create an independent ranking system.
April 2017: Controversy Over Taxpayer-Funded Salary
In April 2017, Mullin drew criticism after stating during a town hall meeting that it was "bullcrap" that taxpayers pay his salary, claiming he pays his own salary through his company. As of 2022, Mullin still collects the U.S. Congress base salary of $174,000.
July 2017: Announced Run for Fourth Term
In July 2017, Mullin released a video announcing that he would run for a fourth term in 2018, reversing his earlier promise to serve only three terms.
2018: Re-elected to Fourth Term
In 2018, Mullin was re-elected in November with 65% of the vote.
2018: U.S. House Ethics Committee Report
In 2018, the U.S. House Ethics Committee noted that Mullin made efforts to seek guidance on family business matters, but also noted that ethics rules discourage endorsing products or services, particularly if the member personally benefits financially.
2019: Compared O'Brien's salary to UPS drivers' average earnings in 2019
On March 8, 2023, Mullin compared O'Brien's salary to what he claimed UPS drivers made, on average, in 2019.
December 10, 2020: Introduced Protect Women's Sports Act
On December 10, 2020, Mullin and Representative Tulsi Gabbard introduced the Protect Women's Sports Act, which would define Title IX protections based on biological sex at birth and effectively ban many transgender athletes from participating in programs corresponding with their gender.
December 2020: Signed Amicus Brief Supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania
In December 2020, Mullin was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.
2020: Reported Asset Range
At the end of 2020, Mullin reported his asset range from $7.3 million to $29.9 million.
2020: Won Republican Primary and Reelected
In 2020, Markwayne Mullin won the Republican primary with 79.9% of the vote and was reelected in November with 75% of the vote.
2020: Claim of Stolen Election
When campaigning for the 2022 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma, Mullin supported the claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.
August 2021: Attempted to Enter Afghanistan During US Withdrawal
In August 2021, during the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Mullin and others attempted to enter Kabul to evacuate a family of U.S. citizens, but their requests were denied by the Defense Department and U.S. embassy in Tajikistan due to safety concerns and currency importation restrictions.
2021: Reported Asset Increase Due to Company Sale
At the end of 2021, Mullin's reported assets increased significantly due to the sale of his plumbing-related companies to HomeTown Services, which occurred in early 2021 while he was serving in the House of Representatives.
2021: Reported Personal Assets
In 2021, Mullin reported that his personal assets were between $31.6 million and $75.6 million.
2021: Voted Against American Rescue Plan Act
In 2021, Mullin voted against the American Rescue Plan Act, along with all other Senate and House Republicans.
February 2022: Inhofe Announced Resignation, Mullin Announced Candidacy
In February 2022, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe announced his resignation, which led Mullin to announce his candidacy in the special election.
August 2022: Criticism Over PPP Loan Forgiveness
In August 2022, Mullin criticized President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan but faced criticism after the White House Twitter account pointed out that Mullin had benefited from $1.4 million of federal PPP loan forgiveness.
2022: Collecting U.S. Congress Base Salary
As of 2022, Mullin still collects the U.S. Congress base salary of $174,000.
2022: Stance on Abortion
During the 2022 Republican runoff debate, Mullin expressed his support for making abortion illegal in all circumstances, including cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is at risk, claiming that he and his wife would not want to get an abortion even if her life was at risk during a pregnancy.
2022: Elected in Special Election
In 2022, Markwayne Mullin was elected in a special election to serve the remainder of Jim Inhofe's term as U.S. Senator for Oklahoma.
2022: Received PPP Loan Forgiveness
In 2022, Mullin had $1.4 million in PPP loans forgiven and was criticized for his hypocrisy regarding President Biden's student loan debt forgiveness plan.
2022: Introduced Resolutions to Remove Trump Impeachments
In 2022, Mullin introduced resolutions to remove the first and second impeachments of President Trump from the Congressional Record, although the resolution did not pass due to the House having a Democratic majority at the time.
2022: Supported Claim of Stolen Election
When campaigning for the 2022 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma, Mullin supported the claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.
January 3, 2023: Inhofe Resigned Senate Seat
On January 3, 2023, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe resigned from his seat at the end of the 117th United States Congress.
March 8, 2023: Accusations and Spat During Senate Hearing
On March 8, 2023, Mullin accused Teamsters president Sean O'Brien of "intimidation" during a Senate HELP Committee hearing, leading to a heated exchange where Mullin told O'Brien to "shut your mouth".
2023: Became U.S. Senator
In 2023, Markwayne Mullin became the junior United States Senator from Oklahoma.
2023: Planned to Reintroduce Ali Expansion Act
Mullin reportedly planned to reintroduce the Ali Expansion Act as a senator in 2023.
2024: Influence on O'Brien's Endorsement Decision
Mullin's renewed relationship influenced O'Brien's decision not to endorse the Democratic ticket in 2024.
