Stitt picks energy executive Alan Armstrong as next Oklahoma senator
Politico2 days
Alan Armstrong Appointed New Oklahoma Senator
Is Alan Armstrong the energy expert Oklahoma needs in the Senate or a RINO betrayal of MAGA voters?
Above: Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) at a swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on March 24. Image credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Alan Armstrong is exactly the kind of senator America needs right now — a Fortune 500 energy executive with four decades of real-world experience. With utility bills skyrocketing, Armstrong's expertise in energy infrastructure will help pass crucial permitting and energy reforms that will remove red tape, increase energy affordability and unlock American competitiveness.
Democratic narrative
Appointing Armstrong, despite his high-profile corporate controversies, is a troubling move that puts industry insiders in charge of the very policies meant to regulate them. This decision, therefore, is nothing but a backroom deal dressed up as public service, which hands a powerful platform to someone whose loyalties lie more with corporate boardrooms than ordinary Oklahomans.
Conservative narrative
Armstrong's appointment is a slap in the face to MAGA voters. After all, this is a man who cut checks to Adam Kinzinger right after he voted to impeach Trump and demanded the invocation of the 25th Amendment. Donating $5,800 to the most anti-Trump Republican in Congress isn't a mistake; it's a statement. Oklahoma deserves more than just another RINO.