Okla. Senator endorses Cherokee citizen for Department of Defense post

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe is endorsing a former Democratic congressman from Oklahoma who has been nominated for a position with the Department of Defense.

Inhofe released a statement Tuesday saying he supported the nomination of Brad Carson as undersecretary for personnel and readiness at the DOD.

Carson previously served as undersecretary of the Army and as Army general counsel.

Carson was known as a conservative Democrat who served two terms as congressman from Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District that covers most of the eastern portion of the state. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2004 against Republican Tom Coburn. He is also a Cherokee Nation citizen and former CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses.