Native Vote

Meet Cherokee Markwayne Mullin: 2nd American Indian Elected to Congress

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Currents. Discussion »

OKLAHOMA CITY – Republican Markwayne Mullin will join Congressman Tom Cole as the second American Indian in the House of Representatives.

Congressman Elect Markwayne Mullin, his Family and Supporters

“I expect to relinquish my title as 'the only Native American in Congress' when Markwayne Mullin, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is elected to Congress from the 2nd District of Oklahoma,”

Commented Congressman Tom Cole to the Native News Network. Cole won a commanding 6 th term victory with 68 percent of the OK 4th district.

Mullin, an owner of a plumbing firm, defeated Rob Wallace on Tuesday in the Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District with 57 percent of the vote. The Congressional seat was an open seat after five term Congressman Dan Boren announced he would not seek re-election.

Mullin, 35, took over his small family's business and turned it into a thriving company grew to more than 100 employees.

“I feel great. I'm very humbled,”

Mullin told his supporters last night in his victory speech.

“Let's start getting this economy back on track. Small business owners know how to do it,”

he said.

Mullin has said he would serve no more than six years in office if elected, and he said he plans to fulfill that promise.

"I've got a family and I've got a business to run,"

Mullin said.

The following posting on Mullin's campaign website does not mention his Cherokee heritage:

"Markwayne Mullin is an eastern Oklahoma native, successful businessman, rancher, family man and youth leader in his church. The youngest of seven children, he was raised in the small Adair County community of Westville."

Once Congressman Boren completes his term, he will begin employment with the Chickasaw Tribe of Oklahoma.

posted November 6, 2012 6:00 am est