Rep. Kevin Hern is projected to win the Republican primary for Oklahoma’s U.S. Senate seat, according to NBC News and Decision Desk HQ (as cited by The Hill). The race is for the seat vacated by Markwayne Mullin, who leaves the Senate to serve as Homeland Security secretary in the Trump administration. Multiple outlets describe Hern’s entrance into the contest as a factor in clearing the field, after Mullin’s appointment. With the primary result, Hern is positioned to be the Republican nominee for the general election in the state. The Hill also reports that voters are simultaneously casting ballots in other Republican House primary races, including the open seat created by Hern leaving Congress to pursue the Senate nomination. In addition, PBS NewsHour reports that Oklahoma’s governor’s race is proceeding to a runoff, indicating that state-level voting outcomes are not yet fully settled alongside the Senate primary. The reporting across outlets centers on Hern’s projected primary win and the connection between Mullin’s move to the Cabinet and the opened Senate seat.