State Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state Senator Mike Mazzei are set to meet in a runoff for the Republican nomination for governor of Oklahoma. This follows Tuesday’s primary where no candidate achieved a majority, as reported by NBC News.
Drummond and Mazzei secured the top spots in a field of nine GOP candidates, each obtaining roughly a quarter of the votes. Drummond has held statewide office previously, while Mazzei received a significant endorsement from President Donald Trump two weeks prior to the primary. Trump expressed his support for Mazzei on Truth Social.
“It is my great Honor to endorse MAGA Warrior, Mike Mazzei, who is running for Governor of Oklahoma, a state which I love, and WON BIG,” Trump wrote.
Current Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, cannot run again due to term limits.
Mazzei’s campaign has been heavily self-funded, with nearly $7 million of his own funds contributing to a total fundraising sum exceeding $11 million. Drummond, an attorney and rancher from Hominy, Oklahoma, began with a smaller initial investment, committing $2 million in April and an additional $500,000 in late May. His campaign has raised over $340,000 from individual supporters since April, alongside $12,000 from political action committees. Oklahoma Voice reports that Republican candidates for governor have personally contributed or loaned over $22 million for the primary race.
Before his gubernatorial run, Mazzei served in the Oklahoma Senate and worked as a financial planner. His campaign promises include eliminating state income taxes, enhancing property tax relief for seniors and veterans, and launching a literacy program for Oklahoma.
As attorney general, Drummond recently challenged a proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter project, citing environmental and agricultural concerns. He has also opposed his party’s efforts to integrate religion into educational institutions. Drummond has a background as a rancher, Air Force veteran, and banker, belonging to a well-known Oklahoma family. He has criticized Governor Stitt’s interactions with Indigenous tribes.
Oklahoma has demonstrated consistent Republican support in recent elections, with Trump having won every county in the state three times consecutively. The GOP has also maintained dominance in state presidential elections since 1968.