Topline
Trump-backed wealth fund executive and former state Senator Mike Mazzei won the GOP’s nomination for the Oklahoma gubernatorial race on Tuesday, after winning a runoff against state Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who the president had labeled as a “fake Republican.”
Key Facts
The race was called by the Associated Press at 11 p.m. ET with nearly all ballots counted, and Mazzei secured 50.3% of the vote, scoring a narrow win against Drummond, who got 49.7%.
Both candidates advanced to the runoff after neither secured an outright majority to win the primary election in June—where Drummond topped the field with 26.25% of the vote while Mazzei got 25.97%.
Mazzei will now take on Democratic candidate Cyndi Munson in November and is a heavy favorite to win in the red state, which Trump carried by more than 34 points in 2024.
In a statement on X, Mazzei thanked the voters, said he is honored to be the GOP nominee, and touted his plans to reclaim “Oklahoma’s potential.”
Mazzei currently serves as the chair and CEO of the Tulsa-based wealth management fund Trinity Strategic Wealth.
Trump acknowledged Mazzei’s win with a graphic posted on Truth Social touting his endorsement of the candidate.
In a post endorsing Mazzei on Monday, Trump attacked Drummond, calling him a “FAKE Republican, who donated to SLEEPY Joe Biden.” The comment was a reference to a $1,000 contribution made in 2020 to Biden, which Drummond previously claimed was made by his wife but was later refunded. Trump also attacked Drummond’s opposition to a $4 billion aluminum smelting plant in Tulsa, which is supported by Mazzei. As attorney general, Drummond has filed an injunction against the plant to allow the state to study its environmental impact. Trump blasted Drummond for wanting to “dethrone” the “magnificent, job producing, desperately needed, and brand new, Aluminum Plant.”
Mazzei previously was an Oklahoma State senator from 2004 to 2016 and later served as the state’s Secretary of Budget. Aside from Trump, he also secured an endorsement from the state’s term-limited Governor Kevin Stitt—who has also been the subject of the president’s attacks. Earlier this year, Trump attacked Stitt, calling him a “mediocre (at best!) RINO,” meaning Republican in name only, after the two clashed earlier this year over the White House’s handling of the annual gathering of the governors of all states in Washington.
Source: www.forbes.com
