Bio
Senator James Mountain Inhofe is an American politician and businessman. He has been serving as a senior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma under the Republicans since 1994. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1994. He was also the Mayor of Tulsa from 1978 to 1984.
Senator Jim Inhofe was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on November 17, 1934. Yet, he moved to Tulsa with his family. There, he graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1953. He also served for 12 months in the U.S. Army.
In 1973, Senator Jim Inhofe graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of Tulsa. But, news articles and official biographies indicated that his graduation year was 1959. Inhofe later addressed the discrepancy and explained he had some credit shortfall and did not finish till 1973. He also acknowledged that he was allowed to take part in the graduation ceremony in 1959 despite the issues.
After his Bachelor’s degree, Senator Jim Inhofe worked as a businessman before delving into politics. He worked as a real estate and land developer, an insurance and aviation executive. He eventually became the President of Quaker Life Insurance Company.
Senator Jim Inhofe Career
Inhofe started his political career in the Oklahoma Republican Party in the 1960s. He served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Reps from 1967 till 1969.
Senator Jim Inhofe also became a member of the Oklahoma Senate from 1969 till 1977. He also served as the Minority Leader from 1973 till 1977.
While serving in the Oklahoma Senate, Inhofe ran for the seat of the governor of the state. Unfortunately, he lost the election to Democratic nominee David Boren.
After serving in the Oklahoma Senate, he ran for a seat at the U.S. House of Representatives. He was looking to represent Oklahoma’s 1st congressional District. Even though he won the primary election, he lost the general election to Democratic James Jones.
He became the Mayor of Tulsa in 1978 after defeating Democratic Rodger Randle. He was re-elected in 1980 and 1982.
He left office in 1984 and contested for a seat at the U.S. House of Representatives again in 1986. He decided after Rep. Jones announced his retirement. Inhofe represented the 1st District and won the Democratic nomination. In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Gary Allison with 55% of the votes. He won again in 1988 and served till 1994.
In 1994, Senator David Boren resigned from the U.S. Senate after becoming the president of the University of Oklahoma. Inhofe ran for the vacant seat in a special election and won. He assumed office the same year.
After serving the final terms of Boren, Inhofe won his full election in 1996. He was elected again in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. But he is not planning to seek reelection after the end of his current term
Senator Jim Inhofe Accomplishments
Inhofe is a strong advocate for human rights protection. His administration worked on the improvement of infrastructure in the state. He also saw to the improvement of transportation networks to boost the state’s economy.
One of his greatest legislative accomplishments is his policy towards efficient energy production. He worked towards eliminating regulations within the oil and gas industry. He also introduced a bill to enable states to make decisions about oil and gas regulatory structures.
Also, one of his top priorities was to maintain a toxic-free environment. At the same time, he had worked to pave way for energy dominance in the state. He has also worked for the provision of more than a trillion dollars for job creation
Senator Jim Inhofe Criticisms
On January 24, 2021, Jim Inhofe faced widespread criticism, which included a formal questioning on the sale of stocks worth $230,000 and $500,000.
The issue was whether Jim had insider information due to his access to a private briefing on the coronavirus outbreak. The STOCK Act prevents Senators from using non-public information for personal gain
