Oklahoma GOP Governor Primary Goes to Runoff on Aug 25

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state Senator Mike Mazzei will compete in a Republican gubernatorial primary runoff on August 25, after neither secured a majority in Tuesday's primary election. The winner will face Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson, the Oklahoma House Minority Leader, in the November general election to succeed term-limited Republican Governor Kevin Stitt.

Drummond and Mazzei finished narrowly ahead of a crowded field of nine Republican candidates. Businessman Chip Keating and former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall placed third and fourth, respectively. The primary has been marked by significant personal investment from the candidates, with GOP gubernatorial hopefuls loaning their campaigns more than $22 million, contributing to what state officials report is a record-breaking election cycle in terms of spending.

A central point of contention has been Mazzei's stance on a proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter project in Inola, which is part of a larger commercial deal between the United States and the United Arab Emirates announced by the Trump administration in May 2025. Mazzei initially opposed the project due to the scale of state tax...