History of Markwayne Mullin in Timeline

Markwayne Mullin is an American politician and businessman serving as the junior United States Senator from Oklahoma since 2023. A Republican, he won a 2022 special election to fill the remainder of Jim Inhofe's term. Mullin is the first Native American U.S. Senator since 2005 and the second Cherokee Nation citizen elected to the Senate. Prior to his Senate service, Mullin represented Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1907: Robert Latham Owen Was Senator for Oklahoma

Robert Latham Owen was a senator for Oklahoma from 1907 to 1925. Mullin is the second Cherokee Nation citizen elected to the Senate, after Robert Latham Owen.

1925: Robert Latham Owen Was Senator for Oklahoma

Robert Latham Owen was a senator for Oklahoma from 1907 to 1925. Mullin is the second Cherokee Nation citizen elected to the Senate, after Robert Latham Owen.

1925: Robert Latham Owen Retired

Robert Latham Owen, the first Cherokee Nation citizen elected to the Senate, retired in 1925.

July 26, 1977: Markwayne Mullin's Birth

On July 26, 1977, Markwayne Mullin was born. He is an American and Cherokee businessman and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Oklahoma since 2023.

Others born on this day/year

1996: Attended Missouri Valley College

In 1996, Markwayne Mullin attended Missouri Valley College, but did not graduate.

1997: Took over Mullin Plumbing

In 1997, at age 20, Markwayne Mullin took over his father's business, Mullin Plumbing, when his father fell ill.

2001: Tom Coburn Represented the District

In 2001, Tom Coburn represented the District. Mullin was the first Republican to represent the district since Tom Coburn in 2001.

2005: First Native American U.S. Senator since Campbell Retired

In 2005, Ben Nighthorse Campbell retired. Markwayne Mullin is the first Native American U.S. senator since Campbell retired in 2005.

November 2006: Fought in MMA Fight

Between November 2006 and April 2007, Mullin fought in three mixed martial arts fights, winning all three.

April 2007: Fought in MMA 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, Mullin received an associate's degree in construction technology from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology.

June 2011: Dan Boren Announced Retirement

In June 2011, incumbent U.S. Representative Dan Boren announced that he would retire at the end of 2012.

September 2011: Declared Candidacy for Congressional Seat

In September 2011, Markwayne Mullin declared his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District seat, branding himself as an outsider.

2012: Finished First in Republican Primary

In 2012, Mullin finished first in the six-candidate Republican primary with 42% of the vote and subsequently defeated George Faught in a runoff, 57%–43%.

2012: Owned Various Businesses

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 shares in a bank.

2012: Promised to Serve Three Terms

In 2012, when he first ran for Congress, Mullin promised to serve only three terms (six years).

2012: Hosted House Talk

In 2012, when he was first elected to Congress, Mullin hosted House Talk, a home improvement radio program syndicated across Oklahoma, on Tulsa station KFAQ.

August 2013: Adopted Twin Girls

In August 2013, Mullin and his wife, Christie Renee Rowan, adopted twin girls. The couple has six children.

2013: Served as U.S. Representative

From 2013 to 2023, Markwayne Mullin served as the U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district.

2014: Re-elected to Congress

In 2014, Mullin was reelected with 70% of the vote, defeating Democrat Earl Everett.

June 2016: Defeated Jarrin Jackson

In June 2016, Mullin defeated Jarrin Jackson in the Republican primary by 27 percentage points.

2016: Proposed Legislation for MMA Businesses

In 2016, Mullin proposed legislation to extend federal boxing regulations to mixed martial arts businesses like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

April 2017: Town Hall Controversy

In April 2017, Mullin drew criticism for telling constituents that it was "bullcrap" that taxpayers pay his salary during a town hall meeting.

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 Congress

In 2018, Mullin won a four-way Republican primary with 54% of the vote, and was reelected in November with 65% of the vote.

2018: House Ethics Committee Report

In a 2018 report, the U.S. House Ethics Committee noted that Mullin should not endorse products or services, particularly if he personally benefits financially from the endorsement.

2019: Compared Sean O'Brien's Salary to UPS Drivers' Income

On March 8, 2023, Mullin asked about O'Brien's salary and compared it to what he claimed UPS drivers made, on average, in 2019. O'Brien responded, "that's inaccurate", and told Mullin he simply "negotiates the contract".

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, a bill to define Title IX protections on the basis of an individual's biological sex.

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, contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.

2020: Reported Assets

At the end of 2020, Mullin's reported assets were in the range of $7.3 million to $29.9 million.

2020: Re-elected to Congress

In 2020, Mullin won the Republican primary with 79.9% of the vote, and was reelected in November with 75% of the vote.

2020: 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.

August 2021: Attempted to Enter Afghanistan

In August 2021, during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Mullin and others flew to Greece and sought permission to enter Afghanistan to extract U.S. citizens, but their request was denied.

2021: Sale of Plumbing Companies

At the end of 2021, Mullin's reported assets increased due to the sale of his plumbing-related companies to HomeTown Services in early 2021.

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 of 2021.

February 2022: Inhofe Resigned and Mullin Announced Candidacy

In February 2022, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe announced his resignation, and Markwayne Mullin announced he would run in the special election to fill the remainder of his term.

August 2022: Criticism of Student Loan Forgiveness

In August 2022, Mullin criticized President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, but subsequently faced criticism after it was revealed he benefited from federal PPP loan forgiveness.

2022: Collects 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 stated that he opposes abortion in all circumstances, including cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is at risk.

2022: Elected US Senator

In 2022, Markwayne Mullin was elected in a special election to serve the remainder of Jim Inhofe's term as US Senator.

2022: PPP Loans Forgiven

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.

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.

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: Jim Inhofe Resigned

In February 2022, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe announced he would resign from his seat at the end of the 117th United States Congress on January 3, 2023.

March 8, 2023: Accused Teamsters President of Intimidation

On March 8, 2023, Mullin accused Teamsters president Sean O'Brien of "intimidation" during a Senate HELP Committee hearing on the PRO Act, leading to a heated exchange.

2023: Became US 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: Renewed Relationship Influenced O'Brien's Decision

Since the intense interaction with Sean O'Brien, the two have reconciled, become friends, and now speak on the phone every few weeks. This renewed relationship influenced O'Brien's decision not to endorse the Democratic ticket in 2024.