Markwayne Mullin

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Markwayne Mullin
Markwayne Mullin official photo.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 2nd district
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Preceded byDan Boren
Personal details
Born
Mark Wayne Mullin[1]

(1977-07-26) July 26, 1977 (age 42)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Christie Mullin
Children5
EducationMissouri Valley College
Oklahoma State University (AA)
WebsiteHouse website

Markwayne Mullin (born July 26, 1977) is an American politician, businessman, and former professional mixed martial arts fighter who has been the U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district since January 2013. A Republican, he succeeded blue dog Democrat Dan Boren.

Mullin is a member of the Cherokee Nation and one of four Native American members of the 116th Congress.[2] The several businesses he owns were his father's, but when he was 20 years old he had to take them over when his father became ill.[citation needed]

Early life and education[edit]

Mullin was born on July 26, 1977 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[3] He graduated from Stilwell High School in Stilwell, Oklahoma.[4] He attended Missouri Valley College in 1996, but did not graduate.[3] In 2010, Mullin received an associate in applied sciences degree in construction technology from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology.[3][5]

Business career[edit]

Mullin took over his family's business, Mullin Plumbing, at the age of twenty, when his father fell ill. He also owns Mullin Properties, Mullin Farms, and Mullin Services.[6]

He hosted House Talk, a home improvement radio program, on Tulsa station KFAQ and syndicated across Oklahoma.[3][7]

U.S. House of Representatives[edit]

2012 election[edit]

In June 2011, incumbent Democratic U.S. congressman Dan Boren announced that he would to retire at the end of 2012.[8] In September 2011, Mullin declared his candidacy for the 2012 elections to the United States House of Representatives to represent Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district.[9] Mullin branded himself as an outsider; his campaign slogan was "A rancher. A businessman. Not a politician!"[10]

In the six-candidate Republican primary, Mullin finished first with 42% of the vote; state representative George Faught ranked second with 22% of the vote.[11] In the run-off primary election, Mullin defeated Faught 57%–43%.[12][13]

The 2nd District has historically been a classic "Yellow Dog" Democratic district. However, it has steadily trended Republican, as Tulsa's suburbs have spilled into the northern portion of the district. For these reasons, Mullin was thought to have a good chance of winning the election. In the general election, Mullin defeated the Democratic candidate, Rob Wallace, a former district attorney, 57%–38%.[14] He became the first Republican to represent the district since Tom Coburn in 2001,[15] and only the second since 1921.

Miami Tribe revocation[edit]

On February 5, 2014, Mullin introduced the bill To revoke the charter of incorporation of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma at the request of that tribe (H.R. 4002; 113th Congress), which would accept the request of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to revoke the charter of incorporation issued to that tribe and ratified by its members on June 1, 1940.[16]

2016 election[edit]

In the June 2016 Republican primary, Mullin defeated Jarrin Jackson by 27 percentage points. In the November general election, he defeated Democrat Joshua Harris-Till by 67 percentage points.[17]

2017 town hall comments[edit]

In April 2017, Mullin drew criticism when he was recorded during a town hall meeting telling his constituents that it was "bullcrap" that taxpayers pay his salary. He said, "I pay for myself. I paid enough taxes before I got here and continue to through my company to pay my own salary. This is a service. No one here pays me to go."[18] According to the January 2012 Congressional Research Service, the salary of a U.S. representative is $174,000 per year, and benefits include allowances, cost-of-living adjustments, enrollment in a pension, health benefits, personnel, mail and office expenses, and a travel allowance.[19]

Fourth term[edit]

When he first ran for Congress in 2012, Mullin promised to serve for only three terms (six years). However, in July 2017, Mullin released an eleven-minute video announcing that he would indeed run for a fourth term in 2018, saying he was ill-advised when he made the promise to only serve three terms.[20]

Committee assignments[edit]

Caucus memberships[edit]

Mixed martial arts record[edit]

Professional record breakdown
3 matches 3 wins 0 losses
By knockout 1 0
By submission 2 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 3–0 Clinton Bonds TKO (punches) XFL April 7, 2007 2 1:27 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Win 2–0 Clinton Bonds Submission (armbar) XFL Superbrawl February 3, 2007 2 n/a Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Win 1–0 Bobby Kelley Submission (rear-naked choke) XFL November 11, 2006 1 0:46 Miami, Oklahoma, United States

Personal life[edit]

Mullin and his wife, Christie, live in Westville, a few miles from the Arkansas border, and have five children.[3][23] He is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, and is one of four Native Americans in the 116th Congress. The others are fellow Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole, a Chickasaw,[24] and Democrats Sharice Davids of Kansas, a Ho-Chunk, and Deb Haaland of New Mexico, a Laguna Pueblo.[25]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Oklahoma State Vital Records Index
  2. ^ https://ballotpedia.org/Markwayne_Mullin
  3. ^ a b c d e November 7, 2012 (July 26, 1977). "Markwayne Mullin". Roll Call. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  4. ^ "Markwayne Mullin Tapped to Give National Republican Address | .Politics". Blog.newsok.com. October 16, 2012. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  5. ^ MULLIN, Markwayne, (1977 - ) Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 1774-Present. Retrieved April 13, 2017
  6. ^ "Markwayne Mullin wins District 2 Congressional seat". KJRH 2. Scripps TV Station Group. November 7, 2012. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  7. ^ "Meet the Mullin Family". Markwayne Mullin for Congress. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  8. ^ Casteel, Chris (June 7, 2011). "Oklahoma's U.S. Rep. Dan Boren won't seek re-election in 2012". News OK. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  9. ^ "Markwayne Mullin makes Congressional bid official". www.krmg.com. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  10. ^ Archive of Mullin's campaign site from 2012
  11. ^ "OK District 2 – R Primary Race – Jun 26, 2012". Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  12. ^ "OK District 2 – R Runoff Race – Aug 28, 2012". Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  13. ^ State Election Results, Runoff, Oklahoma State Elections Board.
  14. ^ "OK – District 02 Race – Nov 06, 2012". Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  15. ^ Krehbiel, Mark (November 7, 2012). "Republican Markwayne Mullin voted into 2nd District Seat". Tulsa World. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  16. ^ "H.R. 4002 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  17. ^ Wingerter, Justin (July 8, 2017). "Coburn will work to oust Mullin after congressman breaks term limit pledge". Oklahoman.com. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  18. ^ NIKITA VLADIMIROV (April 13, 2017). "GOP rep: 'Bullcrap' to say taxpayers pay my salary". The Hill. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  19. ^ Brudnick, Ida A. (January 4, 2012). "Congressional Salaries and Allowances" (PDF). Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  20. ^ Krehbiel, Randy. "Markwayne Mullin to seek fourth term, explains why he's breaking three-term campaign pledge". Tulsa World. Tulsa World. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  21. ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  22. ^ "Members". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  23. ^ Margot Peppers (August 30, 2013). "Oklahoma congressman Markwayne Mullin and his wife reunite twins separated at birth by adopting them | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  24. ^ Aura Bogado on March 1, 2013 – 12:11 PM ET (March 1, 2013). "Why Does Congress's Only Cherokee Member Keep Voting Against VAWA?". The Nation. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  25. ^ Olmstead, Molly. "Sharice Davids, Deb Haaland Become First Native American Women Elected to Congress". Slate Magazine. Retrieved November 7, 2018.

External links[edit]

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Dan Boren
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district

2013–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Grace Meng
United States Representatives by seniority
220th
Succeeded by
Scott Perry