Former state Sen. Mike Mazzei has secured the Republican nomination for governor in Oklahoma, according to NBC News projections, marking a significant victory for the candidate preferred by President Donald Trump. In a closely fought runoff election held on Tuesday, August 25, Mazzei narrowly defeated state Attorney General Gentner Drummond by a margin of 2,045 votes. With an estimated 99% of ballots counted, Mazzei received 185,542 votes, or 50.3%, compared to 183,497 votes, or 49.7%, for Drummond.
Mike Mazzei secures Republican nomination for governor
The path to the nomination was contentious. In the initial June 16 primary, which featured a crowded field of nine candidates, Drummond finished in first place with 26.3% of the vote, narrowly leading Mazzei, who received 26.0%. The difference between the two was approximately 1,100 ballots out of 403,000 cast. Because no candidate secured a majority in that round, the race proceeded to the August runoff.
Donald Trump endorsement of Mike Mazzei
Throughout the campaign, Mazzei, a 61-year-old Tulsa businessman and founder of an investment management firm who served 12 years in the state Senate, leaned heavily on the endorsement he received from Trump in May. Trump reaffirmed his support repeatedly on his Truth Social platform, where he also leveled sharp criticisms at Drummond. In a post last week, Trump described Drummond as a FAKE Republican
and criticized him for stating during a 2024 congressional hearing that he had no opinion on Trump’s 2021 impeachment following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. During a Monday evening call for Oklahoma Republicans, Trump stated that people should forget about Drummond because everyone he knows dislikes him, adding that Gentner Drummond does not represent the values of Oklahoma and would be a disaster if elected.
Proposed construction of an aluminum smelter in Inola
A central point of contention was the proposed construction of an aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma. Drummond, a 62-year-old northern Oklahoma rancher and former Air Force pilot who was elected attorney general in 2022, sued to block the project, citing environmental and public health concerns. Trump, who supports the plant, attacked Drummond’s position, writing on Truth Social that Drummond wants to dismantle a magnificent, job-producing, and desperately needed new aluminum plant that would be one of the best projects ever conceived or built, not only in the great state of Oklahoma but in the United States itself.
Financial records highlighted the intensity of the race. In the weeks leading up to the runoff, Drummond outraised and outspent Mazzei, reporting $2.3 million in funds raised between the mid-June primary and the Tuesday runoff. Mazzei raised $816,000 during the same period. Both candidates also provided significant loans to their own campaigns, with Mazzei loaning his campaign $11 million and Drummond loaning $3 million. Additionally, Drummond had suggested that Mazzei’s endorsement from Trump was linked to Mazzei hiring a consulting firm operated by Roger Stone, a longtime friend and adviser to Trump; campaign finance records show Mazzei’s campaign paid the firm $67,500.
The runoff also saw policy disagreements. Drummond broke with Trump regarding the president’s decision to waive tariffs on certain beef imports. In an interview with NewsNation, Drummond stated that while he and the state of Oklahoma support President Trump and many of his policies, he believes the majority of Oklahomans would agree that the tariffs have gone too far and that the importation of cheap beef only harms the state’s cattlemen, ranchers, and farmers.
The race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who endorsed Mazzei, saw both Trump and Drummond criticize the outgoing governor. Trump had previously labeled Stitt a “RINO” during a dispute over National Governors Association events.
Democratic state House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson
Mazzei will now face Democratic state House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in the November general election. While Republicans are heavily favored to retain the office—as no Democrat has won the Oklahoma governor’s race since 2006—the primary process highlighted a disconnect between prediction markets and the electorate. Mazzei entered the June primary as a near-90% favorite in prediction markets, only to be forced into a runoff. Ahead of the runoff, markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket again priced Mazzei as the favorite at 78%, testing whether a presidential endorsement could overcome a close, unpredictable Republican electorate.
