Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin was nominated to serve as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security by President Trump on March 5, 2026. Senator Mullin has represented the great state of Oklahoma since 2022, when he won the seat in a special election. He was the first Native American U.S. senator since Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who retired in 2005. He is the second Cherokee Nation citizen to ever serve in the chamber.

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Prior to him being elected to the Senate, he served as the U.S. representative for Oklahoma’s 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2023.

His Faith Walk:

During a podcast interview with Shannon Bream on “Livin’ the Bream,” Senator Mullin shared that in his early life, his parents took him to church every Sunday and Wednesday. Though he faithfully attended, his heart was not truly in it, and he was not living for the Lord. He left home at age 15 but continued to attend church out of respect for his parents. He later married his wife, Christie, at age 19. He and his wife have 3 sons: Jim, Jayce, and Andrew; and 3 daughters: Larra, Ivy, and Lynette.

He shared a testimony of how, early in their marriage, he had gotten into a fight, and Christie did not like that, which led to an argument between them. He made a decision at that point that he did not want to live a life where he would have conflict with his wife over something like this. He and Christie found and attended an Assemblies of God church, and two weeks later, he gave his heart to the Lord in August of 1997.

He acknowledged that he is fallible and makes mistakes. However, when he focuses on serving the Lord, he makes far fewer of them. He referenced Ecclesiastes, noting that life unfolds in seasons and that perseverance is essential. If you keep moving forward and refuse to give up, God will guide you through difficult times. Faith, he explained, means understanding that tomorrow may not always be better, but to continue to seek and serve the Lord. By moving through life with faith and holding onto God’s promises, you will eventually see His blessings.

He explained that his faith defines who he is. He strives to serve both the Lord and the people, making decisions according to those guiding principles. Each day, he prays for wisdom to discern right from wrong, asking God to open the doors meant for him and close the ones that are not. He also prays that he will never have a lazy bone in his body. He shared that he has prayed this way consistently for more than twenty years.

Senator Mullin is a former MMA fighter with a professional record of 5 and 0. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. He has remained active in the wrestling community since his retirement from the sport. He continues to coach his children and other young athletes in wrestling tournaments across the country on weekends through today.

He spoke about President Trump and their shared affinity for wrestling, noting that they even attended an NCAA tournament together in Tulsa in 2023. He explained that President Trump wrestled while attending prep school, and his name still appears on a bracket displayed at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He also shared that two of his sons wrestle at Oklahoma State University, while another son wrestles at the University of Oklahoma. In addition, all three of his daughters wrestle at Bixby High School.

He identified his top three priorities as God, family, and then everything else. He describes work as his hobby and says he genuinely loves to work, but he is intentional about making his family the top priority in his schedule, with his wife at the very center of that commitment. Weekends are reserved for time with his family, and he makes it a point not to schedule anything on Sundays other than being with them. In his life, he says, everything ultimately revolves around his family.

When people ask how they can pray for him, he always asks for prayer for his wife and family. He states that if they are good, he is good. IFA even had the honor of praying over Senator Mullin at an event in DC, where he was a guest speaker.

He shared that he and his wife, Christie, struggled for years to have children and even pursued medical intervention. Along the way, they experienced many disappointments. Ultimately, however, God blessed them with six children—three biological and three adopted. Christie also endured a late-term miscarriage, an experience he says that deeply shaped his strong pro-life beliefs. In the very month that the child was expected to be born, Christie became pregnant again. Three years later, as she was preparing to undergo a hysterectomy, she discovered that she was pregnant once more.

Through Christie’s work with young people, their family was introduced in 2012 to twin girls who had been born to a teenage mother. At the time, each girl was being raised by elderly family members. Christie felt strongly that they should adopt the girls, but he was initially resistant. She asked him to pray about it. His greatest fear was that he would not be able to love the twins as deeply as he loved their other three children. As he prayed, he felt the Lord working on his heart. Two months later, the family was granted emergency custody of the girls, and in August 2013, they officially became their adopted daughters.

Jayce, the oldest son, had been close friends with their son Jim for many years. Jayce’s mother was not involved in his life, and when his father was diagnosed with brain cancer, he asked Markwayne and Christie to take care of Jayce if anything were to happen to him. When Jayce’s father later passed away, they honored that request and welcomed Jayce into their family.

Early Life, Education, and Business Career

Senator Mullin grew up on his family’s cow-calf ranch in Westville, Oklahoma, where his family still resides. He graduated from Stilwell High School and attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship until age 20, when he left to take over his father’s plumbing business.

He is a graduate of Stilwell High School and went on to attend Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship until the age of 20. At that time, Senator Mullin’s father, Jim, became sick, and the Senator, along with his bride, Christie, postponed studies to save the family business, Mullin Plumbing.

Senator Mullin and Christie have expanded Mullin Plumbing over the past 28 years to become the largest service company in the region. They have also founded numerous other successful companies, ranging from Mullin Environmental to Rowan’s Steakhouse. The steakhouse is named for Christie’s family and is located in a neighboring town of Stilwell.

Senator Mullin completed his university education and received his degree in Applied Science in Construction Technology from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in 2010. He received an honorary doctorate degree from Bacone College in 2018.

Senator Mullin served Oklahoma in the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Appropriations Committee, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and the Indian Affairs Committee.

What does Senator Mullin stand for?

Senator Mullin has been vocal about the rise of antisemitism on university campuses. He has even written a letter to the Chair of the HELP committee urging them to hold a hearing on the rise of such incidents and the responses from the university administrators. He called campus antisemitism vile, hateful, cowardly, and completely despicable.

He has emphasized Israel’s right to defend itself assertively against Palestinian terror threats during a trip to the Middle East in March of 2023. He identified the need for Israel to not only react to threats but to adopt a proactive stance.

He supports the Abraham Accords, viewing them as important steps to the stability of relationships among countries in the Middle East. He sees the accords as an avenue to facilitate economic collaboration and to create a unified front against common threats, especially that of Iran.

He opposed the nuclear deal with Iran while serving in the U. S. House of Representatives, as well as the UN Security Council Resolution 2334 that claimed that Israel’s settlements have no legal validity.

Senator Mullin supported the Taylor Force Act, which stated that no American governmental funds shall be given to a Palestinian entity that financially rewards terrorists or their families.

He opposes the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He also cosponsored the Combating BDS Act of 2017, which is a bill that aimed to fight discriminatory boycotts that target Israel.

In addition, he has opposed taxation of the middle class, opposed 2nd Amendment infringements, and supported our military. Also, he has supported defunding of NPR, PBS, and the USAID Deep State. He supported the One Big Beautiful Bill. He voted to omit Arizona and/or Pennsylvania from counting presidential electors in January 2021. Overall, he has a voting record that aligns closely with Republican priorities, particularly on economic policy, military strength, and limited government intervention.

Responsibilities as Secretary of Homeland Security

The Secretary of Homeland Security leads the third-largest Department of the U.S. government. The department has a workforce of 260,000 employees and 22 components, including TSA, Customs and Border Protection, CISA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, FEMA, the Coast Guard, Secret Service, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and the Science and Technology Directorate.

Under the Secretary’s leadership, DHS is responsible for counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, port security, maritime security, administration and enforcement of our immigration laws, protection of our national leaders, protection of critical infrastructure, detection of and protection against chemical, biological, and nuclear threats to the homeland, and response to disasters.

How we can be praying for Secretary Designate Markwayne Mullin:

“For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.” Proverbs 11:14

1. Pray for his wife and family as they adjust to his new role as Secretary of Homeland Security for their safety, peace, health, encouragement, and relationships to remain strong.
2. Pray that Congress confirms him for this role.
3. Pray that he is hidden under the shadow of our Lord’s wings, for safety and protection everywhere his foot treads.
4. Pray for strength and endurance to match his days, that his steps are ordered by the Lord. Pray that when he lies down to sleep, he rests in the Lord and experiences deep and peaceful sleep.
5. Pray for wise and honorable counsel to surround him and wisdom and discernment to fill him in the many vitally important decisions he will make on a daily basis related to our national security.
6. Pray for divine intel and foreknowledge for all situations related to this land and anyone attempting to infiltrate or invade.
7. Pray that he clearly hears the Lord, seeks Him in all things, and grows in His faith and walk with the Lord.
8. Pray for faithful and loyal workers, that all traitors and evil workers of iniquity are exposed and dealt with speedily in any of the departments he oversees.

Share your prayers for the Secretary Designate below.

April Walker is a new contributor to Intercessors for America and is involved in the Pennsylvania state prayer group. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/54816858557/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=175752639.