Oklahoma election results: Drummond leads GOP runoff
Early Oklahoma election results on Aug. 25 show Attorney General Gentner Drummond leading Trump-backed businessman Mike Mazzei in the Republican gubernatorial primary runoff, while State Question 844 was failing, according to KOCO. The GOP nominee will face Democrat Cyndi Munson in November.
Key Takeaways
- Early returns had Drummond ahead of Mazzei in the GOP governor runoff.
- President Donald Trump and Gov. Kevin Stitt endorsed Mazzei; Trump called Drummond a “fake Republican.”
- State Question 844, on reimbursing locals for manufacturer tax breaks, was failing in early tallies.
- Voters also weighed State Question 846, which would put Oklahoma’s existing voter ID rule in the constitution.
- The runoff winner advances to face House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in the general election.
What do the latest Oklahoma election results show?
According to KOCO’s live updates, early Oklahoma election results from Primary Runoff Election Day pointed to Drummond leading Mazzei. The same early tallies showed State Question 844 failing.
Both men took roughly 26% in the June primary, with Drummond ahead by about 1,100 votes. The Aug. 25 runoff was meant to settle the Republican nomination to succeed term-limited Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Why does the Oklahoma governor runoff matter?
AP News reports the Mazzei–Drummond clash is the biggest race on the ballot in a deeply conservative state. A Democrat has not won the governorship since 2006, and Republicans are heavily favored in November.
Mazzei, 61, founded an investment management firm and served 12 years in the state Senate. Drummond, 62, is a northern Oklahoma rancher and former Air Force pilot elected attorney general in 2022.
Trump endorsed Mazzei in May and repeated the endorsement after the primary. In a Truth Social post, he labeled Drummond a “FAKE Republican.” Drummond said Oklahomans’ endorsement matters most and has said he works with the Trump administration.
The 10-week runoff drew more than $9 million in TV and digital ads from mostly independent groups, on top of nearly $40 million spent before the runoff, AP reported. Mazzei financed his bid largely with personal loans of at least $11.9 million; Drummond loaned his campaign at least $3.5 million and raised about $4.8 million more in cash contributions than Mazzei.
What else is on the Oklahoma ballot?
State Question 844 would change how the state reimburses schools, counties, and other local governments when manufacturers get a five-year property tax exemption. It does not create a new tax, KOCO reported; some school officials worried about uncertainty in the plan.
State Question 846 would write Oklahoma’s already-required voter identification rule into the state constitution.
Other runoffs include the Republican state superintendent race between Robert Franklin and James Taylor, who would face Democrat Janetta Marshall in November.
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