Oklahoma held primary runoff elections on August 25 for its Republican gubernatorial nomination and Democratic Senate nomination, with Trump’s endorsement power on the line in the governor’s race and competing visions of party direction shaping the Senate contest.
In the Republican primary runoff for governor, former state Senator Mike Mazzei, backed by President Donald Trump, faced Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Mazzei had secured Trump’s endorsement ahead of the June primary, with Trump releasing a campaign video in July praising Mazzei as a “MAGA warrior” and criticizing Drummond. Drummond narrowly led the field in the June primary with just over a quarter of the vote, but Trump’s backing gave Mazzei momentum into the runoff.
The Democratic Senate primary runoff pitted attorney Jim Priest against N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse and grassroots activist. Thomas led the five-way June primary with 45 percent of the vote, while Priest finished second with nearly 24 percent. The two candidates represented different wings of the party—Thomas campaigned on a progressive platform, while Priest positioned himself as a moderate focused on bipartisan problem-solving. The winner will face Republican Representative Kevin Hern in November’s general election.
Oklahoma’s runoff system requires a majority vote to win a primary nomination. If no candidate receives a majority in the first round, the top two finishers advance to a runoff, as happened with both races after the June 16 primary. Roughly 403,000 votes were cast in the June Republican primary for governor and 169,000 votes in the Democratic Senate primary, according to PBS NewsHour.
Trump’s endorsement in the Oklahoma governor’s race was part of a broader pattern of presidential involvement in 2026 primaries. According to Ballotpedia, Trump-endorsed candidates won 220 of 227 races (97 percent) in 2026 primaries through mid-August, though 10 Trump-backed candidates had been defeated overall in the cycle. The South Carolina Senate runoff, held the same day as Oklahoma’s races, also tested Trump’s endorsement power, with the president backing a candidate in that competitive Republican primary.
The runoff contests reflected broader national political dynamics heading into November’s general election. For Republicans, the governor’s race highlighted the continued influence of Trump-style politics in GOP primaries, while the Democratic Senate runoff illustrated ongoing debates within the party about ideology and electability. Both races would determine which nominees would represent Oklahoma in the general election cycle.
Sources
- Ballotpedia — Oklahoma gubernatorial and Senate runoff candidate information, vote counts from June primary
- New York Times — Drummond’s vote share and Trump endorsement context in governor’s race
- Washington Post — Live results and candidate descriptions for both runoff races
- NBC News — Senate runoff results and candidate information
- U.S. News & World Report — Trump endorsement of Mazzei and attack on Drummond
- The Hill — Trump endorsement as test of presidential influence in Oklahoma governor’s race
- Oklahoma Voice — Candidate platforms and runoff dynamics
- PBS NewsHour — June primary vote totals (403,000 Republican, 169,000 Democratic)
- Ballotpedia — Trump endorsement win rate (220 of 227, 97 percent) in 2026 primaries
- NPR — South Carolina Senate runoff as parallel test of Trump endorsement power
