The lawmakers and political figures lining up behind Gentner Drummond and Mike Mazzei offer an early glimpse of the relationships that could shape Oklahoma’s next governor.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial runoff is becoming more than a contest between two candidates. It is also beginning to reveal the relationships each man could bring into the Capitol if elected.
For Attorney General Gentner Drummond, the most notable legislative endorsements have come from lawmakers who occupy key leadership and committee positions. Former state Sen. Mike Mazzei, meanwhile, has assembled support from President Donald Trump, Gov. Kevin Stitt and five Republican senators.
Those endorsements do not determine how lawmakers will vote once the Legislature convenes in 2027. Governors routinely work with legislators who backed their opponents during campaigns. But they can provide an early indication of the political relationships each candidate has cultivated before taking office.
Among Drummond’s publicly announced legislative supporters are House Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton; House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Trey Caldwell, R-Faxon; Senate Appropriations and Budget Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry; and Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh, R-Edmond.
Taken together, those endorsements carry significance beyond simple vote totals. Moore serves as the House’s second-ranking member. Caldwell and Hall oversee the budget-writing process in their respective chambers, while Pugh leads one of the Senate’s highest-profile policy committees. Regardless of who occupies the governor’s office, those lawmakers will play important roles in determining which priorities advance through the Legislature.
Mazzei’s endorsement network reflects a different kind of political strength.
Trump’s endorsement in late May helped propel Mazzei into the Aug. 25 runoff after he narrowly finished behind Drummond in the June 16 primary. Stitt, who initially endorsed former candidate Chip Keating, shifted his support to Mazzei after the primary, giving the former state senator the backing of both the state’s sitting governor and the Republican president. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen also have endorsed Mazzei.
Within the Legislature, Mazzei has received public endorsements from Sens. David Bullard, R-Durant; Jerry Alvord, R-Wilson; Brian Guthrie, R-Bixby; Dave Rader, R-Tulsa; and Randy Grellner, R-Cushing.
The endorsement picture underscores an important reality about Oklahoma government.
Campaigns are won with votes, but governing requires legislation. Most major initiatives—from tax policy and education to transportation, public safety and agency reform—must pass through legislative committees, survive budget negotiations and win approval in both chambers before reaching a governor’s desk.
That makes endorsements from influential lawmakers noteworthy, even though they do not guarantee future legislative support. Likewise, endorsements from nationally recognized Republican leaders can carry significant weight with Republican primary voters in a state where Trump has consistently performed well.
Drummond also has earned endorsements from the Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police, the Professional Fire Fighters of Oklahoma, Tulsa FirePAC, the Oklahoma City Firefighters Association, the Association of Oklahoma General Contractors, former Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and former University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer.
With five weeks remaining before the Aug. 25 runoff, additional endorsements are likely. Even so, the support announced so far is beginning to sketch two distinct bases of support—one centered on influential legislative figures inside the Capitol, the other anchored by nationally prominent Republican leaders and a group of Republican senators.
