Candidates for Oklahoma Governor: Runoff, Drummond vs. Mazzei, and Munson

The candidates for Oklahoma governor in 2026 have narrowed to a Republican runoff on August 25, 2026 between Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state Senator Mike Mazzei, with the winner facing Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson and three independents in the November general election. The seat is open because Republican Governor Kevin Stitt is term-limited. Cook Political Report rates it Solid Republican, with a partisan voting index of R+17.¹

Why There Is a Runoff

Nine Republicans filed for the June 16 primary.² Under Oklahoma law, a candidate must win a majority to avoid a runoff; otherwise, the top two advance.³ No one came close. With 99 percent counted, Drummond took 26.3 percent (105,832 votes) and Mazzei 26.0 percent (104,691), a margin of roughly 1,100 ballots. Chip Keating finished third at 18.4 percent, former state Senator Jake Merrick fourth at 14.5 percent, and former House Speaker Charles McCall fifth at 11.8 percent.⁴ Nearly 575,000 people cast ballots, about 23.7 percent of registered voters.⁵

On the Democratic side, three candidates ran on June 16. State House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson won decisively with nearly 75 percent (129,225 votes), ahead of former state Senator Connie Johnson at about 22 percent and a third candidate at roughly 3 percent.⁴ Munson will be the Democratic nominee in November.⁶

Roughly 45 percent of Republican primary voters backed candidates who are now out, and the runoff will largely be a contest to win them over.⁷ As of mid-June, neither Merrick nor McCall had endorsed in the runoff.

Gentner Drummond

Drummond is Oklahoma’s sitting attorney general and a seventh-generation Oklahoman from Hominy. He flew F-15s for the U.S. Air Force during the Persian Gulf War, led the first combat mission of the conflict, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and four Aerial Achievement Medals. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and a law degree from Georgetown, worked as an assistant district attorney in Pawnee and Osage Counties, and founded Drummond Law in Tulsa in 1999. He has also been a rancher and banker.⁸⁹

He was sworn in as attorney general on January 9, 2023. In office, he established the AG’s first Organized Crime Task Force targeting illegal marijuana operations, human trafficking, and opioid distribution; under the task force, licensed marijuana grows fell from more than 9,000 to fewer than 2,100. He also pushed legislation allowing the incarceration of illegal immigrants and bills strengthening prosecutions for rape, child pornography, and fentanyl distribution.⁸

On the campaign trail he has emphasized his law enforcement record, his entrepreneurial background, and his lawsuits against federal policies.¹⁰ At the May 28 debate he discussed lowering homeowner insurance costs, supported continued funding for the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, and advocated for certified community behavioral health centers as an alternative to emergency rooms for mental health crises.¹¹

His campaign has drawn controversy over the Lich Vu case. In October 2024, Oklahoma City police sergeant Joseph Gibson body-slammed 71-year-old Lich Vu during a traffic stop, causing spinal and facial fractures and a brain bleed. Vu died in October 2025, and his attorney said the injuries “hastened his death.”¹² Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna initially charged Gibson with aggravated assault and battery, but Drummond took over the case in December 2024 and dismissed the charge, saying he did not believe the officer exhibited criminal intent. Shortly after, the statewide Fraternal Order of Police voted unanimously to endorse Drummond’s gubernatorial campaign.¹³ Critics have called the dismissal politically motivated, and a petition with more than 4,500 signatures has demanded Drummond return prosecutorial authority to the district attorney and release the investigative files.¹⁴

Mike Mazzei

Mazzei, 60, is the founder and CEO of Trinity Strategic Wealth, a Tulsa-based financial planning firm that manages over $1.5 billion in client assets.¹⁵ He holds a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from George Mason University and a master’s in personal financial planning from the College for Financial Planning, and also attended Oral Roberts University.¹⁶

Mazzei moved to Oklahoma in 1983, was elected to the state Senate in 2004 from District 25, and served 12 years, chairing the Senate Finance Committee for a decade. He became known as a pension reformer, co-authoring 2011 legislation that raised the retirement age for future state employees and pushing bills requiring full funding before retirement systems could offer cost-of-living adjustments.¹⁶ In December 2018, Governor Stitt appointed him as Oklahoma’s first Secretary of Budget, a post he held until late 2020. According to Mazzei, the state’s savings account grew to over $1 billion during that period.¹⁵

His platform centers on eliminating the state income tax, phasing out property taxes for seniors and veterans, strengthening border and land-ownership laws, and creating a statewide literacy program.¹⁰¹⁷

On May 29, 2026, President Donald Trump endorsed Mazzei via Truth Social, calling him a “MAGA Warrior” and declaring his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”¹⁸ Mazzei described the endorsement as the result of “months of communication” with the White House. The endorsement drew scrutiny of $67,000 in payments from the Mazzei campaign to Republican operative and Trump confidant Roger Stone for consulting. Mazzei described Stone as one of many political advisers.¹⁷

Mazzei has invited voters who backed eliminated candidates to join his campaign, leaning on his platform and the Trump endorsement. Drummond has framed the runoff as “a brand new race” and a choice between “results and rhetoric.”⁷

Cyndi Munson, the Democratic Nominee

Munson is the Oklahoma House minority leader and the first Asian American woman elected to the state legislature.¹⁹²⁰ Munson spent approximately $1.3 million during the primary cycle, the seventh-highest total among all statewide candidates.²¹ She faces long odds in a state Trump carried heavily.

Independent Candidates on the November Ballot

Three independents filed during the April 2026 filing period and will appear on the November ballot alongside the Republican and Democratic nominees: Jerry Griffin of Tulsa, Robert E. Brooks Sr. of Moore, and Orlando Lynn Bush of Edmond.² Oklahoma runs a closed primary, so registered independents could not vote in the June primary for governor; no party opened its process to them for the 2026 cycle.³

What Divides the Republican Runoff

Both Drummond and Mazzei back eliminating or reducing the state income tax; Mazzei has paired that with abolishing property taxes for seniors and veterans.¹⁰

The clearest substantive split is on tribal jurisdiction, a continuing issue after the U.S. Supreme Court’s McGirt v. Oklahoma decision and Stitt’s confrontations with the state’s 38 federally recognized tribes. At an April 2026 Republican forum, the four leading candidates all rejected Stitt’s view that McGirt created two race-based justice systems, and all promised to negotiate tribal compacts.²² At the May 28 debate, Mazzei supported state concurrent jurisdiction over crimes involving tribal members; Drummond was the sole opponent of concurrent jurisdiction, preferring compacts that would let state prosecutors act in the name of tribal governments.¹¹

Education and mental health have also surfaced. Mazzei alleged that hundreds of Oklahoma school districts are run by “radical socialists” and proposed requiring school board candidates to declare a political party. Drummond supported certified community behavioral health centers and called for clinical leadership at the Department of Mental Health.¹¹

Money in the Race

The 2026 cycle has been historically expensive. Republican gubernatorial candidates collectively put more than $22 million of their own money into their campaigns through personal loans. Mazzei led with $10.9 million in self-funding and Drummond contributed $2.5 million.²³ Drummond reported total spending of $6.9 million when including individual contributions.²¹

Outside spending dwarfed those figures. Between April 1 and June 14, outside groups reported $27.5 million in independent expenditures to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, much of it routed through 501(c)(4) organizations that do not disclose donors.²⁴ The Club for Growth’s School Freedom Fund spent over $4.3 million attacking Drummond, while the Make Oklahoma Great Again PAC spent more than $3.8 million supporting Drummond and opposing Mazzei. Mazzei alone faced more than $4.3 million in attack ads from outside groups, and the Make Oklahoma Great Again PAC drew criticism for ads featuring deepfake animations of Mazzei and McCall.²⁵ Total 2026 Oklahoma midterm spending is projected at $70 million, with the governor’s race alone accounting for about $39 million.⁵

Key Dates

The Republican runoff between Drummond and Mazzei is August 25, 2026. The winner will face Munson and the three independent candidates in the November general election. Only registered Republicans can vote in the runoff; the state’s closed-primary rules remain in effect for the 2026 cycle.³

1
Cook Political Report. Oklahoma Governor Race
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Oklahoma State Election Board. 2026 Candidate List Book
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Oklahoma State Election Board. Primary and Runoff Primary Elections
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Journal Record. Republican Runoff Oklahoma Governor Gentner Drummond Mike Mazzei
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The Oklahoman. Democratic Oklahoma Governor Candidates Race Primary Election Results 2026
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News 9. Who Should I Vote For Leading Oklahoma Governor Candidates at a Glance
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NonDoc. Lich Vu Dies Nearly a Year After OKCPD Encounter Left Him Seriously Injured
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NonDoc. Endorsed by Oklahoma FOP Gentner Drummond Running for Governor in 2026
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OKCFOX. Petition Demanding Justice for Lich Vu Gains More Than 4500 Signatures
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Mike For OK. Why Mike
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