The candidates repeatedly accused one another of lying, interrupted exchanges and forced moderators to repeatedly redirect the discussion during a televised debate three weeks before Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial runoff.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Republican race for Oklahoma governor entered its final three weeks Monday night with a televised debate in which Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state Sen. Mike Mazzei repeatedly accused one another of lying while clashing over taxes, energy, education and the proposed aluminum smelter near Inola.
Presented by the Oklahoma Hospital Association and broadcast statewide by Griffin Media, the hour-long debate was moderated by Amanda Taylor and Craig Day. Questions submitted by viewers were incorporated into the discussion, and the moderators noted that Oklahoma Watch plans to publish an independent fact check of candidates’ claims Wednesday.
Debate turns combative
The debate turned combative almost immediately.
Asked why he waited until this summer to file a lawsuit seeking to halt the proposed aluminum smelter near Inola, Drummond defended his timing before accusing Mazzei of reversing his position on the project and alleging his family had ties to the development.
“We have to protect the hay capital of the world,” Drummond said, arguing the proposed facility would threaten nearby ranching operations if built.
Mazzei responded by accusing Drummond of repeatedly misrepresenting both the project and his political record.
“You’ve already heard some lies, and you will hear many more lies about me, the president, this aluminum plant tonight,” Mazzei said before defending the project as an economic development opportunity supported by President Donald Trump.
The candidates quickly moved beyond the smelter itself.
After Mazzei denied any conflict of interest involving his brother and the project, Drummond rejected Mazzei’s repeated references to campaign donations.
“I’ve never given to Biden,” Drummond said. “He’s lied again, folks.”
When Day twice asked Mazzei why he had changed his position on the Inola project, Mazzei instead returned to Trump’s endorsement and the project’s economic benefits. Day repeated the question before moving on.
The exchanges grew heated often enough that Taylor warned the candidates, “We will actually have them mute your mics, and I don’t want to do that,” after repeated attempts to keep the debate moving.
Inola project sets the tone
The proposed aluminum smelter near Inola dominated the debate’s opening exchanges and remained a recurring point of contention.
Drummond defended his lawsuit challenging the project, saying he waited until the company’s final air permit application was filed before taking legal action. He argued the project threatens nearby ranching, air quality and water resources and pledged to continue the fight if elected governor.
Mazzei defended his support for the project, saying domestic aluminum production is important to national security and that environmental concerns can be addressed through strict oversight.
“President Trump supports this project because of national security and the military,” Mazzei said. “President Trump loves Oklahoma. He would not do anything to damage our water and air.”
The candidates also sparred over allegations involving Mazzei’s family and the project, with Mazzei repeatedly denying any conflict of interest and calling Drummond’s claims “completely absurd.”
Taxes and energy divide candidates
Mazzei repeatedly promoted his proposal to eliminate Oklahoma’s individual income tax and eventually abolish property taxes for seniors and veterans.
“We can make Oklahoma a no-income tax state,” Mazzei said, arguing Oklahoma could lower taxes while continuing to fund core government services.
Drummond sharply rejected the proposal.
“This is not a plan. It’s a gimmick.”
He argued Oklahoma should first improve education, healthcare, mental health and workforce development before pursuing additional tax reductions.
Energy policy also produced one of the night’s clearest policy differences.
Drummond defended Oklahoma’s large-load tariff, arguing large new customers should bear the cost of the infrastructure needed to serve them rather than shifting those costs onto existing ratepayers. He said communities should retain local control over major industrial projects and require new facilities to conserve water and pay for the electricity they consume.
Mazzei countered that Oklahoma needs more competition among electric providers. He said future data centers should be located in industrial areas, generate their own electricity, avoid taxpayer subsidies and use closed-loop cooling systems to reduce water consumption.
Education, healthcare and immigration
Education produced one of the night’s clearest policy contrasts.
Mazzei pledged to “hire a statewide literacy director in my first week of office” and said he would model Oklahoma’s reading reforms after Mississippi, arguing the state should adopt a phonics-based curriculum statewide.
Drummond responded that “my number one policy, as your governor, will be education,” saying he would work with educators while tailoring solutions to the needs of rural, suburban and urban school districts. He also defended his opposition to publicly funded religious charter schools, saying the Oklahoma Constitution “leaves no ambiguity” on the issue.
The candidates also offered differing approaches to healthcare.
Mazzei emphasized reducing waste, fraud and abuse within SoonerCare, recruiting more physicians to Oklahoma and expanding the state’s healthcare workforce through CareerTech and tax incentives for doctors.
Drummond focused on protecting rural hospitals, preserving the federal 340B prescription drug program, reevaluating the state’s managed-care contracts and expanding access to maternal healthcare in underserved communities.
The candidates also responded to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recent remarks suggesting there should be “a little stigma” attached to receiving SNAP benefits so recipients would be “a little embarrassed” to rely on government assistance.
Mazzei focused on improving administration of the program, saying Oklahoma should reduce its payment error rate to avoid risking federal funding.
Drummond took a different approach, saying he disagreed with Stitt’s characterization and that families receiving temporary assistance should be treated with dignity while working toward self-sufficiency.
“I’m embarrassed for the state of Oklahoma,” Drummond said. “For those of you … on SNAP, you will be protected. You will be honored, and we will work with you to work that next generation off of any kind of government subsidy.”
Immigration also highlighted contrasting priorities.
Drummond pointed to his office’s work targeting illegal marijuana operations tied to organized crime and said Oklahoma should continue focusing law enforcement resources on criminal organizations operating in the state.
Mazzei pledged to fully support President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, saying he would work closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and criticizing what he characterized as Drummond’s approach to immigration policy.
Relations with Oklahoma’s tribal nations also surfaced during the debate.
Drummond said the U.S. Supreme Court’s McGirt decision should remain limited to criminal jurisdiction and outlined ongoing negotiations with tribal governments over cross-deputization and healthcare partnerships. Mazzei emphasized building cooperative relationships with tribal leaders through negotiation rather than litigation while pursuing economic development and healthcare initiatives.
Watch the debate: Readers who want to watch the full debate can view a recording on the News 9 website.
The Aug. 25 Republican runoff will determine which candidate advances to the Nov. 3 general election against Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson and three independent candidates.
