Sen. Inhofe tests positive for COVID-19

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) tested positive for COVID-19, chief of staff Luke Holland announced during a press conference on Friday. 

Holland said that the senator had “a very mild case” of the virus, noting that he was joining the press conference by phone. A spokesperson for the senator said “he’s doing great.” 

Inhofe is fully vaccinated and boosted, the spokesperson confirmed. 

During the press conference, Inhofe explained by phone he would be stepping down from the Senate and formally endorsed Holland to fill his Senate seat, saying he was “without question” the best person to fill his spot.

By officially announcing that he would be retiring at the end of the year, Inhofe will be vacating his seat early and triggering a special election. The current term served by Inhofe, who won reelection in 2020, was set to end in early 2027. 

The announcement came a day after several news outlets reported that the Oklahoma Republican was expected to make an announcement soon that he would be stepping down from the Senate at the end of the year. 

The New York Times, which was the first to report the expected announcement, stated that he was expected to make the announcement on Monday, noting that the timing was purposeful in order to likely trigger a special election.

Speaking to The Oklahoman in an interview on Thursday, Inhofe said that he would be campaigning for his longtime aide ahead of the June 28 primary.