Gentner Drummond faces Mike Mazzei tonight in an Oklahoma Republican governor runoff election that will test President Trump’s endorsement power in a state where the GOP nominee is heavily favored to win the general election in November. Drummond, the state’s attorney general, narrowly led the crowded June 16 primary with 26.25 percent of the vote, but neither candidate secured the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
Drummond finished first by approximately 1,100 votes over Mazzei in a nine-candidate field, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. The two advanced after all other candidates fell short of the threshold for the Republican nomination.
Mazzei, a 61-year-old former state senator and founder of an investment management firm, secured Trump’s endorsement in May, a move the former president has highlighted in campaign materials. Trump released a video praising Mazzei as a “MAGA warrior” and criticizing Drummond’s record as attorney general. Governor Kevin Stitt, who is term-limited, also endorsed Mazzei in July, adding to the political pressure on Drummond despite his primary lead.
Drummond, 61, has served as Oklahoma’s attorney general since his 2022 election. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat pilot who flew missions during the Gulf War, earned his law degree from Georgetown University, and built a law practice spanning nearly 30 years. His campaign has emphasized his military service, legal experience, and work as a rancher and businessman in Oklahoma.
Mazzei served 12 years in the Oklahoma State Senate, where he chaired the Senate Finance Committee for a decade, and later served as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Budget under Governor Stitt. He founded Trinity Strategic Wealth in 1996 and has built it into a firm managing over $1.5 billion in assets. His campaign has focused on fiscal conservatism, property tax elimination, and business-sector leadership.
The runoff winner will advance to the November general election as the Republican nominee and will face Cyndi Munson, who won the Democratic primary in June with 74.9 percent of the vote. Political analysts view the Republican nominee as the clear favorite in the general election, given Oklahoma’s strong Republican lean.
The race has drawn significant spending, with both candidates self-funding portions of their campaigns. Drummond has maintained a sizable cash advantage, while Mazzei has leaned heavily on Trump’s endorsement and messaging to mobilize voters in the runoff.
Sources
- PBS NewsHour — June 16 primary results showing Drummond 26.25%, Mazzei 25.97%, and nine-candidate field
- Ballotpedia — Runoff election details and candidate advancement
- The Washington Post — June primary vote percentages and runoff election coverage
- ABC News — Mazzei background as 61-year-old founder of investment management firm with 12 years in state Senate
- Oklahoma.gov — Drummond’s biography as Attorney General with law experience spanning nearly 30 years
- The Hill — Trump endorsement and primary margin details
- KSWO — Governor Stitt’s endorsement of Mazzei in July 2026
- 270toWin — June primary results and Democratic primary winner Cyndi Munson with 74.9%
