Former state Senator Mike Mazzei has won the Republican nomination for governor in Oklahoma. This result aligns with President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Mazzei narrowly defeated state Attorney General Gentner Drummond in the GOP primary runoff by around 2,000 votes.
The June primary was close as well. Drummond led by over 1,000 votes against Mazzei. However, since no candidate secured a majority, a runoff was necessary.
Despite being out-fundraised, Mazzei managed to win the runoff. Drummond’s campaign revealed a collection of $2.3 million between the mid-June primary and the runoff day, while Mazzei raised $816,000. Both candidates also injected personal funds into their campaigns. Mazzei contributed $11 million, compared to Drummond’s $3 million.
Trump endorsed Mazzei in May and consistently supported him in the race to replace term-limited GOP Governor Kevin Stitt.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed strong support for Mazzei while criticizing Drummond. Trump mentioned, “Drummond is not the right guy. He’s got a bad attitude, and he doesn’t stand for the Values of Oklahoma, which must VOTE FOR ‘MIKE MAZZEI FOR GOVERNOR,’ on Tuesday, August 25th.”
Drummond drew criticism from Trump for his opposition to an aluminum smelter project in Inola, Oklahoma, citing environmental and public health concerns. Trump disagrees, considering the plant essential for job creation and economic growth.
This week, Drummond also showed differences with Trump’s decision to waive tariffs on certain beef imports to lower U.S. beef prices. Drummond opposed this policy, emphasizing its potential harm to Oklahoma’s cattlemen and farmers. He shared these views with NewsNation, aligning with GOP lawmakers from states prominent in cattle ranching.
Although Trump’s endorsement is influential in GOP circles, his choices have faced challenges, especially in gubernatorial races. Five of his endorsed candidates did not win their primaries recently.
With Tuesday’s victory, Mazzei becomes the favorite for November’s general election due to the state’s significant Republican voter base. He will compete against Democratic state Representative Cyndi Munson.
Leave a Reply