Tulsa businessman Mike Mazzei is seeking the Republican nomination for Oklahoma governor in a runoff election Tuesday, with the backing of former President Donald Trump. Mazzei faces state Attorney General Gentner Drummond in a contest that has drawn significant attention in the deeply conservative state.
The race is for the GOP nomination to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt. In the initial June 16 vote, Drummond narrowly led among nine candidates, but both he and Mazzei secured approximately 26% of the vote. The winner will advance to face Oklahoma House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, a Democrat, in the November general election. Historically, a Democrat has not won the Oklahoma governor's race since 2006, and Republicans are considered strong favorites to retain the office.
Mazzei, 61, a founder of an investment management firm and a former 12-year state senator, received Trump's endorsement in May. Trump has repeatedly reaffirmed his support on his Truth Social platform, labeling Drummond a “FAKE Republican” in a recent post. Trump criticized Drummond for stating in a 2024 congressional hearing that he had no opinion on Trump's 2021 impeachment. Drummond, 62, a rancher and former Air Force pilot, was elected attorney general in 2022.
During a call with Oklahoma Republicans, Trump asserted that 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 campaign hired a consulting firm run by Roger Stone, a longtime Trump associate, for $67,500, according to campaign finance records.
Both Trump and Drummond have also publicly criticized Gov. Stitt, who has endorsed Mazzei. Trump previously referred to Stitt as a “RINO” (Republican in Name Only) amid a dispute over invitations to White House events while Stitt led the National Governors Association. Drummond described the state's performance under Stitt's eight-year tenure as “mediocrity and flipping,” while also stating, “I respect the president. He's a great leader.”
The runoff campaign has generated over $9 million in television and digital advertising, primarily from independent groups, according to the ad-tracking service AdImpact. This spending adds to the nearly $40 million invested in the governor's race prior to the runoff.
Financially, Drummond has raised approximately $4.8 million more in cash contributions than Mazzei. However, Mazzei has largely funded his campaign through personal loans totaling at least $11.9 million, while Drummond has loaned his campaign at least $3.5 million.