Congressman Jim Bridenstine was sworn in Monday as the new head of NASA Space by Vice President Mike Pence after one of the more contentious confirmation processes in the Trump era.
But the process of how he will be replaced in Oklahoma is still in question.
Bridenstine, of Tulsa, officially resigned his seat before being sworn in and now, it's up to the Gov. Mary Fallin to call a special election. She cannot appoint someone to the seat. It's unclear if Fallin can decide not to hold a special election and leave the seat vacant until elections in November.
According to the State Election Board, it could cost north of $600,000 to hold a special election if both parties have primaries. So far 10 candidates, five in each party, have already filed to run for the seat after Bridenstine’s nomination was announced seven months ago.
The replacement for Bridenstine will also be followed closely by leaders in both parties, especially as predictions for the 2018 midterms continue to show Republicans losing control of the House of Representatives.
Nationally, Oklahoma is a solidly Republican state, having not elected a Democrat for president since Lyndon B. Johnson. But recently, Democrats have been able to flip several seats during special elections at the state level showing a potential shift on the horizon among Sooner State voters.
Bridenstine’s former district, OK District 1, includes portions of Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby and Wagoner. It hasn’t been held by a Democrat in three decades, making it unlikely to flip but it is only ranked “likely Republican” by the Cook Political Report, meaning it could be an indicator of how Republicans will fair in the 2018 midterms.
The former congressman is the most controversial NASA administrator in the agency's history. He was narrowly confirmed after senators raised questions about his stance on LGBTQ issues, his thoughts on climate change, which NASA oversees U.S. climate monitoring, and he's the first non-scientist to lead the science-based agency.
The final stance was a point of contention for the influential Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who changed his vote against Bridenstine in the final hours of the confirmation process.
Bridenstine served on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and formerly led the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, although his tenure at the museum has been under scrutiny after he reportedly used money from the non-profit organization to funnel money into a rocket racing league in which he had a stake. The former member of congress will now oversee an agency in charge of an $18.5 billion budget and more than 78,000 workers.
During his nomination, however, Bridenstine was able to overcome criticism and convince senators his time at NASA would be non-partisan.
“NASA represents what is best about the united states of America,” Bridenstine told the small gathering at his ceremony. “We lead, we discover, we pioneer and we inspire. I look forward to our journey together.”
Bridenstine is NASA’s 13th administrator in its 60 year history.