Sen. Jim Inhofe dies at 89: Timeline of defining moments in senator's political career
Jordan Gerard
James Inhofe, the firebrand Republican United States Senator whose political career covered six decades, died Tuesday following a brief illness. Inhofe, 89, was a long-time public official and left a lasting legacy in different levels of government before his tenure in the Senate.
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, but growing up in Tulsa, Inhofe had a career in aviation, real estate and insurance for three decades and served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1956 before he entered politics, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
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Here's a look at notable moments across his political career:
1966: Inhofe runs as a Republican for the Oklahoma House of Representatives for District 70 and replaced Joseph R. McGraw. He served two years in this office.
1968: Inhofe wins the election for Oklahoma Senate District 35.
1974: He runs for governor but is unsuccessful.
1976: Inhofe runs for the U.S. House of Representatives but is not successful.
1978: Inhofe is elected as mayor of Tulsa and serves three terms. His final term ended in 1984.
1986: Inhofe wins election to the 100th Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives for the First District near Tulsa (a seat now held by Kevin Hern).
1994: After serving in three more Congresses, Inhofe retired from the U.S. House of Representatives when he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He filled former Oklahoma Governor David Boren’s seat, when Boren left to become president of the University of Oklahoma.
1996: Inhofe wins his first full term to the U.S. Senate, after he served the last two years of Boren’s term.
2012: Inhofe's book presenting his claims against global warming "The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future" was published by WorldNetDaily Books.
2015: On Feb. 26, Inhofe took a snowball on the Senate floor before speaking on climate change, further questioning its legitimacy.
2023: Inhofe retired on January 3, 2023, attributing his retirement to the lingering effects of COVID-19. Markwayne Mullin was elected to his seat, but Inhofe endorsed Luke Holland, his former chief of staff.