Republican Party certified Mike Mazzei for governor while attorney general’s campaign says it chose not to participate.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Republican Party has certified former state Sen. Mike Mazzei in the Republican gubernatorial runoff through its new OKGOP Certified program, while Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s campaign says it made a deliberate decision not to participate.
The OKGOP introduced the certification program this election cycle, saying it is intended to identify candidates who align with the party’s core values. According to the party, candidates must agree with at least 80% of the Oklahoma Republican Party platform, have not been registered with another political party or donated to a Democratic candidate within the past five years, have not supported abortion and have consistently supported Second Amendment rights. The party thanked “more than 150 candidates who applied for OKGOP Certified during the 2026 Republican Primary cycle” and said the survey is now closed.
Mazzei appears on the party’s list of certified gubernatorial candidates, while Drummond does not. The certification list also includes both candidates in some other contested Republican runoff races, including the race for insurance commissioner between Bob Sullivan and Marty Quinn and the State Senate District 24 runoff between Robert Keyes and Jon Painter.
Matt Parker, chairman of the Drummond campaign, said the campaign intentionally chose not to seek the designation.
“We made the decision some time ago not to complete most political questionnaires or surveys, choosing instead to focus our time and resources on developing real policies and detailed plans that address the issues facing Oklahoma families,” Parker said.
Parker also criticized Mazzei, saying, “Mike Mazzei may have signed a pledge, but voters know he will always flip-flop at a moment’s notice. He can’t be trusted. Gentner Drummond is a staunch Republican who has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to elect Republicans, including $75,000 to President Trump, and his record as Attorney General has been one of fighting for the conservative principles Oklahoma Republicans support.”
The certification program follows an earlier dispute over the Oklahoma Republican Party’s role in contested Republican primaries.
In April, former Oklahoma Republican Party chairs Nathan Dahm, A.J. Ferate, Pam Pollard and Gary Jones publicly criticized Chair Charity Linch after she endorsed congressional candidate Jackson Lahmeyer in the Republican primary for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District. The former chairs said it had been “a decades-long custom for sitting Oklahoma Party chairs to stay out of open primary races and let the voters determine the Republican nominee.”
Linch defended her actions at the time, saying party rules do not prohibit officers from making endorsements and that she would not “lose my voice” after being elected chair.
Oklahoma Politics Today asked the Oklahoma Republican Party whether Drummond had sought certification and requested additional information about the certification process. The party did not respond before publication.
This story includes historical context from prior reporting by The Oklahoman.
