Kevin Hern


Kevin Ray Hern is an American businessman and politician from the state of Oklahoma. A Republican, he is a member of the United States House of Representatives, for. He was elected in 2018.

Early life and education

Hern graduated from Dover High School in Dover, Arkansas, in 1980, and Arkansas Tech University in 1986. He worked at Rockwell International and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, studying for a Ph.D. in astronautical engineering.

Career

After the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, Hern had difficulty finding a job, and became a McDonald's franchisee. He bought his first McDonald's in North Little Rock, Arkansas in 1997. He sold the North Little Rock franchise in 1999 to move to Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he bought two franchises. He expanded his business to own eighteen franchises in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.

U.S. House of Representatives

2018 election

After Jim Bridenstine resigned from the United States House of Representatives in 2018 to become administrator of NASA, Hern ran to succeed him in in the 2018 elections. Hern advanced to the runoff, where he defeated Tim Harris. He then advanced to the general election, where he defeated Democratic candidate Tim Gilpin. Outgoing Governor Mary Fallin then appointed Hern to serve out the balance of Bridenstine's third term. She was able to do so because under Oklahoma law, if a House seat falls vacant in an even-numbered year and the incumbent's term is due to end the following year, the governor can appoint someone to serve the remainder of the term. Accordingly, Hern was duly sworn into the House on November 13.

Tenure

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Hern's KTAK Corporation received assistance between $1 million and $2 million in federally backed small business loans from American Bank and Trust as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. KTAK stated they would retain 220 jobs. Their loan was seen as notable, since Hern is a vocal supporter against deficit spending; in 2018, discussing a balanced budget, he said "While there is no easy fix to this, the first step is clear- stop adding to it." In 2020, he said "This isn't a bailout. It's a repayment of what the government has taken away from American workers and businesses." KTAK operates franchises. During the Paycheck Protection Program negotiations, Hern pushed to increase the amount of aid going to franchises.
Committee assignments

Personal life

Hern and his wife, Tammy, have three children and one grandchild.