OKLAHOMA — Jon Echols defeated Jeff Starling in the Republican primary for Oklahoma Attorney General on June 16, 2026. This election marks the first time since 2010 that there was no incumbent candidate for Oklahoma Attorney General.

Gentner Drummond was first elected Attorney General in 2022. He ran for governor in the 2026 election, rather than seeking re-election as attorney general. In the 2022 Attorney General election, Drummond received 73.8 percent of the vote compared to Lynda Steele's 26.2 percent.

Echols previously served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2012 to 2024. During the 2026 election cycle, Echols operated as a business owner. He also co-founded Shelter Oklahoma Schools, a nonprofit organization focused on funding storm shelter installations in schools.

Starling, an attorney, was appointed as Oklahoma secretary of energy by Governor Kevin Stitt in 2024. Leading up to the primary, Echols had received endorsements from three state senators, 22 state representatives, and 59 county sheriffs as of May 2026. Starling stated, "When an Attorney General accepts endorsements from elected officials, it creates a conflict of interest."

Journalist M. Scott Carter said, "For decades, Oklahoma's political history has shown that in statewide races the contest for governor draws the most attention." Carter said, "This race — much like the contest for governor — is expected to be loud and intense." Democrats won eight of nine statewide elections in Oklahoma in 2006, but no Democrat won a statewide election in Oklahoma between 2006 and the 2026 election.