Markwayne Mullin: Biography, DHS Role, Career and Family
Markwayne Mullin is an American Republican politician, businessman and former professional mixed martial arts fighter who has served as the ninth U.S. secretary of homeland security since March 24, 2026. Before joining President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, Mullin represented Oklahoma in Congress for 13 years—10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives followed by more than three years in the U.S. Senate.
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The Oklahoma native is also an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and built his public identity around an unusual résumé that includes plumbing, ranching, wrestling, MMA and elected office. Interest in Mullin increased sharply in 2026 after Trump chose him to replace Kristi Noem at the Department of Homeland Security, putting him in charge of immigration enforcement, border security, FEMA, TSA and several other major federal agencies.
Markwayne Mullin Quick Facts
| Fact | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Markwayne Mullin |
| Date of birth | July 26, 1977 |
| Age | 49, as of August 10, 2026 |
| Birthplace | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States |
| Raised in | Westville, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | American |
| Tribal citizenship | Enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation |
| Political affiliation | Republican Party |
| Profession | Government official, politician, businessman, plumber and rancher |
| Current role | 9th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security |
| Congressional service | U.S. House, 2013–2023; U.S. Senate, 2023–2026 |
| Wife | Christie Mullin |
| Children | Six |
Mullin’s birth date, Oklahoma background, Cherokee Nation membership, business career and congressional service are documented by official congressional records. His current DHS biography identifies Christie Mullin as his wife and lists six children.
Who Is Markwayne Mullin?
Markwayne Mullin was born in Tulsa on July 26, 1977, and grew up in Westville, a small community in eastern Oklahoma. Congressional biographical records identify him as an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation as well as a businessman, plumber and rancher before his national political career.
He attended high school in Stilwell, Oklahoma, and later attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship. His education was interrupted when his father’s health deteriorated and Mullin returned home to help operate the family’s plumbing business. He later earned an Associate in Applied Science degree from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in 2010.
That path made Mullin unusual among national politicians. Rather than beginning his career in law, public administration or professional politics, he spent years working in a family-owned service business before running for Congress.
From Plumbing Business to Politics
Mullin took responsibility for his family’s plumbing company as a young man after his father became ill. The operation subsequently expanded substantially, becoming a successful Oklahoma business. His professional background eventually included plumbing services, other business interests and ranching.
His experience as a business owner became an important part of his political image. When Mullin entered national politics, he frequently presented himself as someone with direct experience dealing with payroll, employees, regulation and the practical challenges of running a private company.
Mullin also hosted a home-improvement radio program before entering Congress, giving advice related to repairs and household projects. Reuters noted that his pre-political résumé included both his plumbing career and a home-repair talk show.
Ten Years in the U.S. House
Mullin entered electoral politics in the 2012 race for Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District. He won the election and began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 2013. He went on to win reelection four times, remaining in the House until January 3, 2023.
The district covered a large portion of eastern Oklahoma, including communities with significant Native American populations. Mullin’s Cherokee citizenship was therefore an important part of both his personal story and the political representation of his district.
During his House career, he developed a reliably conservative political profile, particularly on energy, abortion, regulation, gun rights and border policy. He also became increasingly prominent within national Republican politics. Reuters has described him as a strong supporter of Donald Trump and noted his advocacy for completing the U.S.-Mexico border wall and expanding immigration enforcement.
Markwayne Mullin’s Senate Career
Mullin moved from the House to the Senate after longtime Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe announced his retirement. A special election was held in 2022 to fill the remainder of Inhofe’s term.
Mullin won the Republican nomination and defeated Democrat Kendra Horn in the November 2022 general election. He took office as a U.S. senator on January 3, 2023.
His election carried historical significance. As a Cherokee Nation citizen, Mullin became one of the small number of Native Americans ever to serve in the U.S. Senate and the first tribal citizen to enter the chamber since Ben Nighthorse Campbell left office in 2005.
Mullin remained Oklahoma’s senator until March 23, 2026. Official Senate records show that Alan Armstrong succeeded him beginning March 24 after Mullin left the chamber to become homeland security secretary.
Why Did Markwayne Mullin Leave the Senate?
The major change in Mullin’s career came in March 2026.
President Donald Trump selected Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security after announcing that Kristi Noem would leave the secretary’s position. The White House formally submitted Mullin’s nomination to the Senate in March.
The Senate confirmed Mullin on March 23, 2026, by a 54–45 vote, according to the official Senate roll call. He was sworn in the following day and became the ninth secretary of homeland security.
The change also ended his congressional career after approximately 13 years in the House and Senate combined. The White House’s current Cabinet directory identifies him as secretary of homeland security and notes his previous congressional service.
What Does Mullin Oversee at Homeland Security?
Leading DHS is significantly different from representing Oklahoma in Congress. The department oversees a broad collection of agencies responsible for border and immigration enforcement, transportation security, disaster response, cybersecurity and other aspects of domestic security.
Mullin therefore assumed responsibility for politically sensitive agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
When he was nominated, the department was dealing with major disputes involving immigration enforcement, congressional funding and FEMA operations. The Associated Press reported at the time that Mullin would inherit challenges involving enforcement tactics, DHS funding, airport security and delayed disaster-recovery work.
One of Mullin’s early administrative changes was to rescind a policy requiring the homeland security secretary personally to approve department contracts worth more than $100,000. DHS said the change followed a review of contracting procedures and was intended to make the department’s operations more efficient.
Immigration and Border Security
Immigration has become the defining policy issue of Mullin’s DHS tenure.
Before joining the Cabinet, Mullin supported enhanced border enforcement and construction of additional barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. As secretary, he has remained part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement program.
However, his approach has also generated disagreement within conservative political circles. During the summer of 2026, Mullin discussed the need for longer-term solutions to labor shortages and expressed support for reforms involving legal employment visas. Forbes reported that these comments prompted criticism from several prominent figures aligned with Trump’s political movement who interpreted them as being too accommodating on immigration.
It is important to distinguish that political criticism from a change in Mullin’s official status. As of August 10, 2026, the White House still lists Markwayne Mullin as the secretary of homeland security, and DHS continues publishing official activities under his leadership.
Why Is Markwayne Mullin in the News in 2026?
Mullin’s elevation from the Senate to one of the most consequential positions in the Cabinet explains much of the current search interest in his name.
Since taking over DHS, he has dealt with immigration enforcement, visa policy, border operations, election-security initiatives, TSA matters and the management of FEMA and other agencies.
In July 2026, Reuters reported that Mullin’s department contacted officials in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania as part of an election-security initiative involving voter-registration records. State officials disputed aspects of DHS’s claims and said the federal government had not provided adequate supporting evidence for some allegations.
In early August, Mullin also visited border facilities and Border Patrol personnel in Texas as part of his official duties. DHS documented the visit on August 5.
At the same time, reports of friction between Mullin and elements of Trump’s political base have become part of the public discussion. The Wall Street Journal reported on August 8 that Trump had grown frustrated with some of Mullin’s decisions and public comments, while also reporting that there were no current plans to dismiss him. Because such descriptions concern internal political relationships, they should be treated as attributed reporting rather than an officially confirmed personnel decision.
The Senate Hearing Confrontation
Mullin was nationally recognizable even before his DHS appointment because of a remarkable Senate hearing in November 2023.
During a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, Mullin became involved in a heated verbal exchange with Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien. Their disagreement escalated to the point that Mullin stood up after challenging O’Brien to a physical confrontation.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was chairing the hearing, intervened and directed Mullin to sit down. Video of the exchange spread widely and became one of the most memorable congressional hearing moments of that year.
The episode reinforced Mullin’s existing public reputation as a combative politician with an athletic and fighting background.
Wrestling and MMA Background
Mullin’s interest in combat sports predates politics.
He wrestled during his youth and attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship. He later competed professionally in mixed martial arts and has been recognized by the Oklahoma wrestling community. Reuters reported that he is a former MMA fighter and an inductee of the Oklahoma Wrestling Hall of Fame.
This background is frequently mentioned in profiles because it distinguishes him from most Cabinet officials and members of Congress. It also helps explain why the 2023 confrontation with Sean O’Brien attracted such extraordinary attention.
Markwayne Mullin’s Wife and Children
Markwayne Mullin is married to Christie Mullin.
Current official information from the Department of Homeland Security says the couple have been married for more than 28 years and are parents to six children: Jayce, Jim, Andrew, Larra, Ivy and Lynette. Reuters independently reported the same six names in its March 2026 profile of Mullin.
The family has longstanding ties to Westville, Oklahoma. Mullin’s official DHS biography describes him as a lifelong Oklahoman who grew up on his family’s ranch in Westville.
Older public biographies sometimes state that Mullin had five children. That information appears to have become outdated as his family circumstances changed. Current DHS information and recent national reporting support a total of six children, making that the most reliable figure to use today.
What Is Confirmed and What Is Not?
Several important facts about Mullin are firmly documented: his July 26, 1977 birth date, Cherokee Nation citizenship, Oklahoma upbringing, plumbing and ranching background, House and Senate service, marriage to Christie Mullin, six children and current position as homeland security secretary.
Claims about impending personnel changes at DHS require more caution. Political commentators have publicly called for Mullin’s replacement, and news organizations have reported tension between him and some Trump allies. Those reports do not establish that he has been fired, resigned or been formally scheduled for replacement.
As of August 10, 2026, official federal sources continue to identify Mullin as the ninth U.S. secretary of homeland security.
Likewise, online estimates of Mullin’s exact personal net worth should not automatically be treated as established fact. Public financial disclosures may reveal assets, liabilities and ranges, but they do not necessarily provide a single precise real-time net-worth figure.
Read More : James Talarico: Biography, Career and 2026 Senate Race
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Markwayne Mullin?
Markwayne Mullin is an American Republican politician, businessman and former MMA fighter from Oklahoma. He represented Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2013 to 2023, served in the U.S. Senate from 2023 until March 2026 and is now the ninth U.S. secretary of homeland security.
Is Markwayne Mullin still a U.S. senator?
No. Mullin’s Senate service ended on March 23, 2026, when he left Congress to become secretary of homeland security. Official Senate records show that Alan Armstrong became Oklahoma’s senator beginning March 24, 2026.
When did Markwayne Mullin become homeland security secretary?
The Senate confirmed Mullin on March 23, 2026, by a vote of 54–45. He was sworn in on March 24, becoming the ninth secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Is Markwayne Mullin Native American?
Yes. Mullin is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. His election to the Senate was historically significant because he became one of the relatively few Native American lawmakers ever to serve in that chamber.
Who is Markwayne Mullin’s wife?
Mullin’s wife is Christie Mullin. The Department of Homeland Security’s current biography describes them as married for more than 28 years. They have built businesses and raised their family in Oklahoma.
How many children does Markwayne Mullin have?
Current official DHS information says Markwayne and Christie Mullin have six children: Jayce, Jim, Andrew, Larra, Ivy and Lynette. Recent Reuters reporting independently gives the same number and names. Some older biographies listing five children are outdated.
Was Markwayne Mullin an MMA fighter?
Yes. Before his national political career, Mullin competed in mixed martial arts and had an extensive wrestling background. He attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship and was later inducted into the Oklahoma Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Conclusion
Markwayne Mullin has followed one of the more unconventional paths into the U.S. Cabinet. Raised in eastern Oklahoma and an enrolled Cherokee Nation citizen, he moved from plumbing, ranching, wrestling and mixed martial arts into business ownership and eventually national politics.
After serving a decade in the House and more than three years in the Senate, Mullin became the ninth U.S. secretary of homeland security on March 24, 2026. His new position has placed him at the center of debates over immigration enforcement, border policy, disaster management, aviation security and election security.
Although recent political reporting has described criticism of Mullin from some Trump-aligned figures, there is no verified announcement that he is leaving the administration. As of August 10, 2026, official White House and DHS sources continue to identify Markwayne Mullin as the serving secretary of homeland security.
Fact-Check Note
Information checked: August 10, 2026.
Public information that required clarification: Some older biographical sources list five Mullin children. The current Department of Homeland Security biography and Reuters’ March 2026 reporting identify six children, so six is used throughout this article.
Potentially conflicting current claims: Recent media reports describe dissatisfaction with Mullin among some Trump allies and calls by political commentators for his replacement. These reports should not be interpreted as confirmation that Mullin has been dismissed or is resigning. The White House continues to list him as secretary of homeland security as of this fact check.
Not treated as verified: Exact online estimates of Mullin’s current personal net worth and speculative claims about future Cabinet changes were excluded because no single authoritative source establishes them as confirmed facts.
