Rep. Kevin Hern, owner of 24 McDonald's franchises, secured a primary victory on Tuesday night in Oklahoma, immediately vowing to push the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act. This legislation, which Hern stated is the top issue he hears from constituents, is designed to restrict voting access, a mechanism often used to consolidate power for the ruling class.
Hern, known as “McCongressman” due to his past life in business, where he owned 24 McDonald’s restaurants in Oklahoma, emphasized his personal narrative of “work” and “preparation” as the foundation for his success. He told Fox News Digital that he “just respect[s] the idea of work” and that “working hard gives you a chance to compete with anybody.” This individualistic framing of wealth accumulation obscures the collective labor that generates profits for franchise owners.
The SAVE America Act has been stalled in the Senate, where all Democrats have vowed to block it, and some Republicans have also voted against it in various forms. Hern expressed confusion over Republican opposition, stating, “This is something I’m not real sure why Republican senators are not supporting,” while adding, “I understand why Democrats don’t support it. They don’t support anything that protects America.” This statement reveals a class-based definition of “America” as the interests of capital.
The Capitalist's Path to Power
Hern’s political career has seen him serve five terms in the House, rising to the fourth-highest role in House GOP leadership as House Republican Policy chair. He also made a bid for Speaker of the House when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted, demonstrating a consistent drive for positions of power within the state apparatus.
His decision to seek a Senate seat followed President Donald Trump’s nomination of fellow Oklahoman Markwayne Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year. Hern has since amassed endorsements from senators and Trump, who praised him as “strongly supported by the fiercest MAGA Warriors in Oklahoma, and the most Highly Respected Leaders in the United States Senate!” Hern stated that voters in Oklahoma “love the president. They love the fact that I support the president and I work with the president,” aligning his political brand with the dominant conservative forces in the state.
Hern’s personal story, including growing up without indoor plumbing, is presented as evidence of his work ethic. However, his ownership of a franchise empire represents the accumulation of capital through the surplus extraction from the labor of fast-food workers, a common path for those who ascend to political power in the current economic system.
He further articulated his ambition for Senate GOP leadership, stating, “if you wait till something comes available, and you start working hard, it’s too late because there are other people like me that have started out in the proverbial parking lot.” He added, “We’ve got people on third base who think they’re ready to be in leadership, and I’m running right past them, and they say, ‘Who’s this guy?’ And it’s a guy like me that’s just been working hard, positioning, building relationships,” revealing the competitive, self-serving nature of power acquisition within the ruling class.
The State's Role in Protecting Capital
Hern is not expected to face significant opposition in November against Democratic candidates, given that Trump has won Oklahoma, and all 77 of its counties, three times. This political landscape ensures the continued entrenchment of policies that protect accumulated wealth and suppress challenges to the existing distribution of power.
The push for the SAVE America Act, framed by Hern as a response to voter concerns, serves to reinforce the state’s role in managing who participates in the electoral process. By restricting voter eligibility, such legislation can limit the political agency of the working class and the dispossessed, thereby preserving the foundations of the current economic order. The opposition from Democrats, while noted, remains within the confines of managing the system's contradictions rather than addressing its structural inequalities.
Hern’s eight years of “work” in Congress, which he credits for Trump’s endorsement within the first 48 hours of his Senate race, underscore the continuous effort by representatives of capital to secure and expand their influence over the state apparatus.