Tulsa businessman Mike Mazzei is competing in a closely contested Republican primary runoff for Oklahoma governor, seeking to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt. Mazzei secured President Donald Trump's endorsement, who also sharply criticized Mazzei's rival, state Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

Drummond finished first in the initial round of voting on June 16, narrowly ahead by about 1,100 ballots out of 403,000 cast, with both candidates receiving roughly 26% of the vote. The winner of the runoff will face Oklahoma House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in the November general election. A Democrat has not won the governor's race in Oklahoma since 2006, and the GOP is heavily favored to retain the office.

Trump criticized Drummond for his 2024 congressional hearing testimony in which Drummond stated he had no opinion on Trump's 2021 impeachment after the January events. During a Monday evening call with Oklahoma Republicans, Trump said, “You can forget about this guy - everybody I know dislikes him. Gentner Drummond does not stand for the values of Oklahoma, and he’s a guy that would be, I think, a disaster.”

Drummond has suggested that Mazzei's Trump endorsement was influenced by Mazzei hiring a consulting firm run by longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone, with campaign finance records showing Mazzei's campaign paid the firm $67,500.

Earlier this year, Governor Stitt drew Trump's ire while leading the National Governors Association in a dispute over White House event invitations. Trump labeled Stitt a “RINO,” or “Republican in Name Only.” Drummond criticized Stitt in an interview with KOCO-TV, saying the state experienced eight years of “mediocrity and flipping” under his leadership.

Sources