OKLAHOMA — Gentner Drummond and Mike Mazzei advanced to the August 25, 2026 Republican primary runoff for Oklahoma governor. They defeated seven other candidates in the June 16, 2026 primary election.

Drummond secured 25.9% of the vote, while Mazzei received 25.5%. Incumbent Governor Kevin Stitt is term-limited and will retire from public office.

During the runoff campaign, Drummond emphasized his record as attorney general. He stated, "I pushed back on the separation of church and state, against Big Pharma, against State Farm, against out-of-state companies that would injure Oklahomans' home, payroll, paycheck, future." Drummond added, "I'm the guy fighting for you, that brings in a lot of out-of-state money." His campaign focuses on reducing the cost of living and his campaign website includes a pledge to "cut taxes responsibly without sacrificing schools, roads, or public safety." He also campaigns on working with Oklahoma's tribal communities to improve the economy, with his campaign website stating a desire to "[a]dvance strategic partnerships with Tribal Nations to create jobs and investment in our state." The Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Drummond's campaign.

Mazzei campaigned on receiving President Donald Trump's endorsement. "Now with the runoff election, there's a clear difference between Mr. Drummond and me: I am the complete and total endorsement of President Donald Trump," Mazzei said. Trump endorsed Mazzei, as did U.S. Representative Josh Brecheen. Mazzei stated, "I'm running for governor to move Oklahoma in a more conservative direction." He also campaigns to eliminate Oklahoma's property tax. Mazzei's campaign includes stopping foreign ownership of public lands, with his campaign website indicating a goal to "prohibit foreign governments and foreign-controlled companies from owning Oklahoma land."

Oklahoma voters elected Drummond as state attorney general in 2022. Mazzei previously served as a state senator and Oklahoma Secretary of Budget. Candidates in the 2026 Oklahoma gubernatorial primary contributed $22 million of their own money to their campaigns. Nuria Martinez-Keel, a journalist, said that "Self-funding in the 2026 race already outpaces past election cycles." Drummond has contributed $2.5 million to his 2026 campaign, while Mazzei has contributed $11 million.

Why It Matters

"In Oklahoma, a highly conservative state, the Republican primary often determines who will be the next governor," said journalist Alex Gladden. Donald Trump received 66.2% of the vote in Oklahoma in the 2024 presidential election, marking his fifth-best performance in any state that year. Governor Kevin Stitt was re-elected with 55% of the vote in 2022. The last Democrat elected governor of Oklahoma was Brad Henry in 2006. Stitt put $4.9 million of his own funds into his 2018 gubernatorial campaign and nearly $2 million into his 2022 reelection campaign.