A moderate Democrat, Kendra Horn represented the 5th District of Oklahoma in the United States House of Representatives. The district includes much of Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma is set to have two different races for United States Senate seats in 2022. One is up for election during its normal cycle year. The other comes with the pending retirement of longtime Republican incumbent Jim Inhofe. As a result, the unique election process for filling Inhofe's seat is officially underway.
Horn announces candidacy
Kendra Horn is officially running for the United States Senate, reports The Hill.
But, if she were to win, it would be far from her first time working at the United States Capitol Complex.
In the past, Horn worked as the press secretary for U.S. Representative Brad Carson. Carson represented the 2nd District of Oklahoma in Congress. Many years later, Horn was elected to the House in her own right in 2018.
That year, she defeated Republican incumbent Steve Russell in a major upset. Horn would be a member of the House Committees on Armed Forces and on Science, Space, and Technology. For the latter, she chaired its Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. Horn, in addition, joined the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrat Coalition, caucuses for centrist Democrats. She also membership in the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group for moderates.
Also holding degrees in political science and law, Horn attended the International Space University in France. Afterward, she worked for the Space Foundation in many roles. Other jobs she has held include practicing law in Texas.
In 2014, Horn was the campaign manager for the Democratic nominee for governor of Oklahoma, State Representative Joe Dorman.
Unfortunately, Dorman would significantly lose to Republican incumbent Mary Fallin in the general election.
In her 2020 re-election bid, Horn was defeated by Republican State Senator Stephanie Bice. Bice is also considered by many to be moderate. After leaving the House of Representatives, Horn co-created the political action committee Shield PAC.
The committee's goal is to aid moderate Democrats in swing districts. Former U.S. Representatives Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico and Joe Cunningham of South Carolina were fellow co-creators.
Several Republicans are already in the race
According to The Oklahoman, Kendra Horn is the first Democrat to enter the race in question officially. However, others are thought to possibly also launch campaigns, including former U.S. Representative Dan Boren, former Governor Brad Henry, and former State Attorney General Drew Edmondson.
Horn may be the first Democrat, but the Republican field has already been considerably filling out. Her former colleague, U.S. Representative Markwayne Mullin, is among the candidates on that side.
So is Inhofe's chief of staff, Luke Holland, and former National Security Council chief of staff, Alex Gray. Current State Senator Nathan Dahm and former State House Speaker T.W. Shannon are likewise running.
