Razor-Thin Margin: Mike Mazzei Edges Gentner Drummond in Oklahoma Gubernatorial Runoff After Trump’s Late Push

Former Oklahoma State Senator Mike Mazzei narrowly defeated state Attorney General Gentner Drummond in Tuesday’s Republican gubernatorial runoff, securing victory with 50.3% of the vote to Drummond’s 49.7% after President Donald Trump mounted a decisive late campaign push for his endorsed candidate.

The race was called for Mazzei nearly three hours after polls closed, with more than 95% of votes counted by Tuesday night. The margin of victory was just 1,985 votes out of over 371,000 cast.

Mazzei will face Oklahoma House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, the Democratic nominee, in November to succeed term-limited Republican Governor Kevin Stitt.

The exceptionally close finish mirrored months of near-identical campaigns between the two candidates. Drummond narrowly finished first in the June 16 Republican primary with 26.25% of the vote compared to Mazzei’s 25.97%, a gap of approximately 1,100 votes among over 403,000 ballots cast.

A Sooner Survey poll released on August 11 found the candidates deadlocked at 44% each among 600 likely Republican runoff voters.

Trump endorsed Mazzei, a 61-year-old Tulsa businessman, in May and repeatedly reaffirmed his support during the final days of the campaign. The president significantly ramped up his involvement, sharply attacking Drummond during a Monday night telephone rally.

“You can forget about this guy — everybody I know dislikes him,” Trump said of Drummond. “Gentner Drummond does not stand for the values of Oklahoma, and he’s a guy that would be, I think, a disaster.”

Drummond, 62, a rancher and former Air Force pilot who has served as state attorney general since 2023, maintained throughout the campaign that he supported Trump despite the president’s opposition.

“I respect the president,” Drummond said during the campaign. “He’s a great leader.”

The runoff capped an extraordinarily expensive Republican contest. AdImpact reported over $14 million was spent on advertising during the runoff following approximately $40 million spent ahead of the June primary. Mazzei largely self-financed his campaign, while outside groups poured millions into the race.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.