Who is Luke Holland, 2022 U.S. Senate Candidate?

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Oklahoma Senior U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R) announced his retirement from the United State Senate on Friday, and then immediately threw his support behind his former chief of staff Luke Holland.

Holland has been working for Inhofe in some way for the last twelve years, but FOX23 asked the question many people are likely asking themselves in the wake of the announcement, who is Luke Holland?

Holland said he knows he has a challenge ahead of him when it comes to name recognition to the average Oklahoman, but he is confident he can show that he is ready to take over for his old boss.

“I am going to be everywhere, and the people are going to see me and get to know me,” Holland said about the upcoming campaign.

The Bartlesville native starting working for Inhofe in 2009 after graduating with a finance degree from the University of Arkansas.

At previous events with Inhofe, the senator said his daughter University of Arkansas Marketing Professor Molly Rapert Inhofe introduced her father to Holland.

Inhofe has previously said at public events with Holland by his side, “I’ve told Molly that I don’t want to bring any of her students to Washington because I know what that place does to young conservatives, but this one (Holland), he was special.”

Holland began as a staff assistant and then finally achieved chief of staff in 2017. He resigned on Thursday from his leadership position in Inhofe’s office in order to be able to run.

Holland resides in the Tulsa metro, and he is a member of New Beginnings Church in Bixby. Holland is a fourth generation Oklahoman who says he stands in lock-step with Inhofe on every issue politically, and that is why he worked for the senator for so long.

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