Primary election will narrow crowded field in Oklahoma governor’s race | KGOU

Come January 2027, Oklahoma will have a new governor, and 15 candidates hope it will be them. Tuesday’s primaries will narrow that field, as nine Republicans and three Democrats appear on ballots across the state.

Republican primary

The stacked Republican roster includes former state senator Mike Mazzei, who leads a Tulsa-based wealth management firm. Mazzei received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, who commended Mazzei’s track record as a “MAGA warrior” and his “America First” platform in a post on social media. Mazzei says if elected, he would overhaul the state’s tax code, marijuana licensing system and Medicaid program.

As Oklahoma’s Attorney General since 2023, Gentner Drummond has targeted illegal marijuana operations, pushed for better open records compliance and distributed millions of dollars in opioid settlement funds. The Oklahoma State University alumnus and U.S. Air Force veteran has frequently found himself at loggerheads with Gov. Kevin Stitt. Drummond has criticized Stitt’s adversarial relationships with Oklahoma-based tribes, Stitt’s support for a public Catholic charter school and Stitt’s “weaponization” of audits.

Former Oklahoma Speaker of the House Charles McCall is a University of Oklahoma alumnus and a banker who was once mayor of Atoka. His campaign has heavily featured rhetoric against gender affirming care and the Islamic faith. As House Speaker, McCall championed an income tax cut and repealed sales taxes on groceries. If he becomes governor, McCall said he wants to eliminate state income tax and pause growth on property taxes.

Chip Keating was the state’s secretary of public safety from 2019-20. He advertises himself as a political outsider, positioning his opponents as “career politicians.” He is the son of former Gov. Frank Keating. In an interview with Oklahoma Voice, he said he does not support eliminating property tax. On his campaign website, Keating said he would not allow undocumented immigrants “any sanctuary” and would declare a state of emergency upon inauguration to “eradicate the criminal cartels and foreign governments” involved in the marijuana industry.

Callup Anthony Taylor, former State Sen. Jake Merrick, Jennifer Domenico, Kenneth Sturgell and Leisa Mitchell Haynes are also campaigning for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. They have not been invited to debates by the state’s news outlets.

Polling shows a close race between Drummond, Keating, Mazzei and McCall. If no candidate receives more than 50% of votes Tuesday, the top two candidates will head to a runoff in August.

Democratic primary

Cindy Munson is the frontrunner of the state’s three Democratic candidates. If she captures a primary nomination, Munson will be fighting for a position that has been controlled by the Republican Party for 16 years.

Munson, who grew up in Lawton, was the first Asian American woman elected to the state legislature, where she currently serves as the House’s minority leader. Facing opposition from Republican party members, the majority of Munson’s legislation failed to make it into law. She authored several justice-related measures, including one to increase compensation for people who are wrongfully convicted.

Prior to her time at the Capitol, Munson worked at multiple nonprofits serving children, including Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma. If elected, Munson said she wants to increase public school investments, lower health care costs and repeal Oklahoma’s total abortion ban. She said she would work to repeal the parental choice tax credit, which offsets costs for parents who wish to transfer their students out of public schools.

Democratic candidates Arya Azma and former Sen. Connie Johnson are also vying for the nomination.

What can independents vote on?  

Oklahoma voters registered as independent will not be able to vote in the primary race for governor. The Democratic Party has opened its primaries to independents since 2016, but did not meet the State Election Board’s paperwork requirements to do so for the 2026-27 elections.

Independent candidates for governor Jerry Griffin, Orlando Lynn Bush and Robert Brooks will appear on the general election ballot in November.

This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.