Campaign finance reports show Mike Mazzei largely self-financed his way into the Republican runoff for governor, while Gentner Drummond relied more heavily on donors, political committees and prior campaign funds.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state Sen. Mike Mazzei are headed into a Republican runoff for governor after building their campaigns on different financial foundations.
The latest campaign finance reports filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission show Mazzei’s campaign was financed overwhelmingly by personal loans from the candidate and his wife, while Drummond drew more heavily from individual contributors, political committees, prior campaign funds and a smaller, though still substantial, amount of self-funding.
The reports provide another look at a runoff already shaped by President Donald Trump’s late endorsement of Mazzei, Drummond’s first-place finish in the primary and the narrow margin separating the two candidates.
With all precincts reporting, Drummond led the Republican primary with 26.3 percent of the vote. Mazzei finished second with 26.0 percent, setting up an Aug. 25 runoff. Chip Keating finished third, followed by Jake Merrick and Charles McCall.
Mazzei reported $11.52 million in total funds received through June 1, according to his amended pre-primary report. Nearly $10.9 million of that came from loans from Mike and Noel Mazzei. Individual contributions accounted for about $620,000, while PAC contributions accounted for $5,000.
That means 94.6 percent of Mazzei’s reported campaign funds came from candidate loans.
Drummond reported $7.15 million in total funds received through June 1. His report showed about $3.77 million from individual contributors, $146,525 from PACs and other political committees, $2.5 million in candidate loans and $734,775 transferred from his prior campaign committee.
That means individual donors accounted for more than half of Drummond’s reported campaign funds, compared with about 5.4 percent for Mazzei.
Mazzei’s report reflects a self-financed campaign built around his personal ability to fund a statewide race. His campaign spent nearly $10.9 million through June 1, almost matching the total amount it had raised or borrowed.
Drummond’s report reflects a more traditional statewide fundraising operation, with support from individual donors, PACs, candidate committees and leftover money from his earlier campaign account.
His donor list included executives and business owners, physicians, attorneys, bankers, ranchers, oil and gas interests and longtime Republican contributors. His PAC support included committees tied to agriculture, banking, public safety, energy and other organized interests that regularly participate in Oklahoma campaigns.
The report does not show one dominant industry among Drummond’s contributors. Instead, it shows a broader fundraising base that includes personal wealth, prior campaign money, maximum-level individual donors and political committees active in state government and politics.
Drummond also loaned his campaign $500,000 after the June 1 cutoff, according to a continuing contribution report filed June 10. Mazzei’s campaign reported another $5,000 PAC contribution after the cutoff from Chiropractic PAC, along with several individual contributions.
Direct campaign contributions do not include independent expenditures reported separately by outside groups. Under state campaign finance rules, independent groups may spend money supporting or opposing candidates, but they may not coordinate that spending with the campaigns.
For voters, the direct reports offer a clearer picture of how each candidate built his own campaign treasury.
Mazzei has the larger campaign treasury on paper because he put more of his own money into the race. Drummond has raised substantially more from donors and political committees, while also adding millions of dollars of his own.
That difference could matter as the race moves from a crowded primary to a one-on-one runoff.
Mazzei’s self-funding allowed him to spend heavily in the primary, advertise statewide and benefit from Trump’s endorsement in the campaign’s final stretch. Drummond’s donor base shows broader financial support from individual contributors and political committees heading into the runoff.
Both candidates have access to significant campaign money. The difference is where it came from.
Mazzei’s campaign was financed mainly by candidate loans. Drummond’s was financed through a combination of candidate loans, prior campaign money, individual donors and political committees.
