United States Senator Jim Inhofe has been a fixture in Oklahoma politics since the 1960s. But in February the 87-year-old announced he would be resigning less than two years into his most recent term.

The timing of his announcement is key. Inhofe said he would stay in office until next year, meaning that Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt can’t nominate an interim replacement. Instead, a special election will be held later this year.

The surprise opening of a coveted Senate seat resulted in a number of dominoes falling as candidates started appearing out of thin air. 

Today on Listen Frontier, Frontier reporter Reese Gorman discuss Inhofe’s resignation, how the race is shaping up, and a pending lawsuit that might stop the process just as it’s getting started.