(Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)
Jonathan Martin of the New York Times reports a rumor that Jim Inhofe, the conservative stalwart from Oklahoma, may resign soon from the Senate, although Martin says that Inhofe would try to stay through the end of the year.
Hearing that @JimInhofe – the 87-year-old Oklahoma senator first elected in 1994 – may resign in the next few days. Would trigger an intense campaign among Repubs in a red state where Senate seats don’t come along too often.
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) February 24, 2022
MORE on Inhofe: Per Okla Repubs, he’s planning to announce decision to resign Monday but WILL remain in seat thru end of this Congress. Decision will trigger a special held in conjunction w November general.
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) February 24, 2022
For now, this is just a rumor, but Inhofe is 87 years old, the fourth oldest member of the Senate behind Dianne Feinstein, Richard Shelby, and Chuck Grassley. Shelby is retiring this year, as is 81-year-old Patrick Leahy, the next oldest. Grassley is running for reelection this November. Feinstein, who turns 89 in June, is up for reelection in 2024 and not expected to run again. At a certain age, decisions get out of your hands.
Inhofe was just reelected in 2020, so four years remain on his term. Oklahoma passed a law in May 2021 that allows the governor (Kevin Stitt, a Republican) to appoint a replacement if there is a vacancy, followed by a special election at the next general election — i.e., in November. The bill requires the appointed senator to swear an oath not to run for the job in the special election, a requirement that may not be legally enforceable but could still deter a candidate who wanted to run for the seat long-term from accepting an appointment. Presumably, if Inhofe announces an intention to step down, a special election could be held without an interim appointment.
