Oklahoma Republicans will choose their next gubernatorial nominee in a runoff between two candidates who split the primary vote almost evenly, with neither able to claim majority support from the state's crowded GOP field.
Mike Mazzei, a former state senator, and Gentner Drummond, the sitting attorney general, each garnered roughly 25 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary among nine Republican contenders. The two will face off again to determine who advances to the general election in a state where the Republican nominee is heavily favored to win.
Mazzei carries the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who posted his support on Truth Social just two weeks before the primary. Trump called him a "MAGA Warrior" and noted that Oklahoma has been a state he has consistently won. Prior to his statewide run, Mazzei spent years in the Oklahoma state Senate and worked as a financial planner.
His campaign strategy has centered on three core proposals: eliminating state income taxes, expanding property tax relief targeting senior citizens and veterans, and launching a statewide literacy initiative.
Drummond brings executive experience as attorney general and has staked out positions that sometimes diverge from Republican orthodoxy. He recently sued to block a proposed four billion dollar aluminum smelter project, warning of potential environmental and agricultural harm. He has also opposed efforts by Republican leadership to integrate religion into schools and criticized Governor Kevin Stitt's approach to relations with Oklahoma's Native American tribes.
An attorney, rancher, U.S. Air Force veteran and banker, Drummond hails from a prominent Oklahoma family in Hominy.
The financial gap between the two candidates proved significant during the primary. Mazzei loaned his campaign nearly seven million dollars from his personal wealth, contributing to a total war chest exceeding eleven million. Drummond operated on a much leaner budget, loaning two and a half million total while raising just over three hundred thousand dollars from individual contributors and twelve thousand from political action committees.
Governor Kevin Stitt, who won back-to-back terms in 2018 and 2022, cannot seek another term due to state term limits. Republican candidates for governor spent over twenty-two million dollars of their own money or loans during the primary race, according to campaign finance records.
Oklahoma has remained a reliable Republican stronghold, with Trump sweeping every county in three consecutive elections and the GOP winning statewide races consistently since 1968.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The runoff will test whether Trump's seal of approval matters more to Oklahoma Republicans than executive experience and occasional party heresy."
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