Former state Sen. Mike Mazzei is projected to win the Republican primary for Oklahoma governor, defeating state Attorney General Gentner Drummond in a runoff.

Mazzei had the backing of President Trump in the competitive race.

Trump endorsed Mazzei in May, ahead of the state’s open primary.

According to POLITICO, Mazzei led Drummond 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent with 99 percent of the votes in.

POLITICO shared further:

Drummond beat Mazzei by 0.3 percentage points in the first round on June 16, forcing Tuesday’s runoff. And the race was defined by massive levels of self-funding in a historically expensive primary for the state.

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Mazzei loaned his campaign $11.6 million, while Drummond loaned himself $3 million, according to campaign finance records. But Mazzei was also aided by outside money: The conservative group Club For Growth spent $8 million on TV ads boosting Mazzei and attacking Drummond, per the tracking firm AdImpact.

Ahead of the runoff, the state senator earned endorsements from Gov. Kevin Stitt and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who represented Oklahoma in Congress for 13 years.

Mazzei served in the state senate for 12 years before being term-limited in 2016. He joined Stitt’s administration for a year in 2019 as budget secretary. He’s the overwhelming favorite in a general election matchup against Democratic state Rep. Cyndi Munson in a state Trump won by 34 points in 2024.

“Oklahoma, thank you. Tonight, you made your voice heard. I am deeply honored to be your Republican nominee for Governor. This campaign has always been about something bigger than one election. It’s about reclaiming Oklahoma’s potential, protecting our values, cutting taxes, strengthening our schools, defending our land, and building a state our children and grandchildren will be proud to call home,” Mazzei said.

“To every voter, volunteer, donor, supporter, and family who stood with us, thank you. We would not be here without you! We won tonight! Now we finish the job in November. God bless you, and God bless Oklahoma!” he added.

More from The New York Times:

Mr. Mazzei campaigned on sharply cutting taxes, including a proposal to phase out the state’s income tax over six years. His support for a $4 billion aluminum smelter helped win him President Trump’s backing.

The smelter, backed by investments from a United Arab Emirates company, split the Republican field. Many Oklahomans opposed the project, citing its foreign ownership and its demands on the state’s power grid. Mr. Drummond filed suit to try to block the smelter.

Mr. Trump championed the project. The president won Oklahoma in 2024 with 66 percent of the vote.

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Mr. Mazzei came out in support of the smelter weeks before the June primary. Mr. Trump endorsed him on Truth Social on the same day.

Mr. Trump recorded a video supporting Mr. Mazzei during the runoff, calling Mr. Drummond a “fake Republican.”

Both men were battered by negative ads and mailers. Mr. Drummond was attacked as a “Trump hater,” and Mr. Mazzei was accused of hypocrisy for opposing foreign ownership of Oklahoma land while backing the Emirati-financed smelter.

Mr. Drummond said he would cut taxes, but not deeply enough to threaten public schools, roads and public safety. His position set him apart from Mr. Mazzei, who had pledged to eliminate property taxes for Oklahomans who are 65 years or older and to eliminate the income tax.

 

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