2026 Oklahoma statewide runoff

Governor: Mike Mazzei

Last week I attended Mike Mazzei's visit to the Republican Women's Club of South Tulsa meeting at Evergreen Baptist Church. He received a standing ovation as he walked up to the stage. He was energetic, witty, and seemed to prefer walking and talking to sitting at a table with the event's MC. I was impressed with the ease with which he handled some tough questions and made his case.

Mazzei called for reform of the judicial nominating process, pointing out that a liberal majority on the State Supreme Court blocked the anti-sharia legislation that he supported in the State Senate. Drummond opposes judicial reform.

Mazzei spoke about the practicalities of his plan to eliminate the state income tax. He has identified $10 billion in tax giveaways, carveouts that no-income-tax states like Florida and Tennessee don't have; eliminating those allows us to get to a 3% rate in the first step. Oklahoma currently has a 3.1% effective tax rate because of these giveaways. He says that Oklahoma needs to move from an an income-based model to an activity-based revenue model, but he would keep the sales tax exemption for purchases that are inputs to manufacturing and agriculture.

Mazzei is right to say that when your property tax goes up because valuation has increased, it's a burdensome and unreasonable tax on unrealized gains, gains that only exist on paper. He points out that the homestead exemption has been $1,000 since 1938. Because of growth in valuations, we could phaseout senior homestead property tax in urban counties over three years, and overall property tax revenue in those counties will continue to grow.

On education, Mazzei backs the same strong literacy measures that have taken Mississippi to the top of the reading rankings. Mazzei wants to get rid of the "balanced literacy" curricula that Oklahoma districts are using. He said that Mississippi gives districts a choice of 6 phonics-based reading curricula. He points out that Tulsa Public Schools spent $75 million on illegal DEI programs, and Gentner Drummond, as Attorney General, did nothing. Mazzei wants school board elections moved to November and wants them to be partisan, because worldview matters in education.

As a former State Senator, Mike Mazzei understands how to get legislation passed and the dynamics that are at work in the House and Senate. He says there are three Ps of getting things done in the Legislature: You need a deep well of policy understanding, an awareness of personalities, and an awareness of the politics of any given issue. He noted that the State Senate is "this close" to having conservative leadership, but there was a bit more of a hill to climb in the State House.

Regarding the Inola aluminum plant, it has to pass muster with EPA and OKDEQ. The technology for this plant will have emissions that are only 40% of what EPA allows. Fluoride is an input cost, so there's an incentive to capture and reuse it. Mazzei said that President Trump loves Oklahoma for the state's 77-county support for him over three consecutive elections, and Trump thinks he's doing something great for us by steering this plant to Oklahoma, a plant 20 other states want, with an economic impact of 10,000 jobs and $25 billion. $750 million of the incentive package is a TIF district, where the increase in property taxes will be captured locally to pay construction costs which will be spent locally. The United Arab Emirates, a partial investor in the plant, is a strong ally of US, is a signatory to the Abraham Accords with Israel, and has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. The Emirates Global Aluminum plant in Dubai sits along the coast between the Palm Jumeirah resort and the under-construction Palm Jebel Ali resort and is one of the world's largest single-site primary aluminium smelters, processing 1 million metric tonnes per year.

America needs to be able to produce basic materials like aluminum for munitions and industry here in America. The Tulsa Port of Inola, located on the site that was prepared for the Black Fox nuclear power plant in the 1970s, is an ideal location: It's not a greenfield site, and it has direct access to rail and barge transportation.

Mazzei had the guts to run when everyone was saying Drummond was the prohibitive favorite to win. Drummond had a year where everyone was giving him money because they thought no one would challenge him. The only way to beat him was to have the personal wealth to self-fund a campaign.

Before the primary, I explained why Gentner Drummond would be a terrible choice for Oklahoma. Everett Piper did me the honor of citing this piece, based in part on Muskogee Politico's research, in his nationally syndicated column. Since then, Drummond has found even more ways to demonstrate his unsuitability, calling for state-funded 0-5 childcare, saying that children raised by extended family are "feral," calling conservative Republican voters "fascists." Drummond can't get along with the legislature or with any of his fellow statewide elected officials. He won his 2022 primary for Attorney General by smearing incumbent John O'Connor, a solid conservative of integrity.

Gentner Drummond is not loyal to the people of Oklahoma. Drummond has made it clear that he will put the interest of the 90% of us who are not tribal citizens (and never can be) behind the interests of tribal leaders who win elections with a few thousand voters. He's more concerned about saving the tribes the expense of setting up judicial systems than relieving the tax burdens on the citizens of Oklahoma.

Jamison Faught points out the extent of the danger: "Drummond would be a disaster worse than Mary Fallin. The governor has four years of appointing judges, commission and board members, state regents, and a whole host of government officials." Jason Murphey says we'll also be electing Wendy Drummond as First Lady, the Biden and Lincoln Project donor who wants to be in charge of homeless policy.

As the campaign winds down, Drummond's campaign has raised a number of irrelevant issues, trying to bait Mazzei into issues that have nothing to do with the Governor's duties.

Here's Everett Piper's latest column on Gentner Drummond.

Rarchar Tortorelli and Pat McGuigan at City News OKC write of concerns with the heavy involvement of Drummond's Blue Sky Bank in serving the cannabis industry:

Here is the part that should stop every Republican in this state cold. Marijuana is still a cash business under federal law. That cash has to land somewhere. This column has received detailed, specific claims from multiple sources describing armored trucks moving cannabis product across state lines, cash returning to Oklahoma structured in amounts designed to duck federal reporting limits, and that cash eventually landing in banks (including those which "feed" into Blue Sky)....

Blue Sky Bank's own cannabis business banking service map now covers nearly 30 states coast to coast, and it advertises a "Canna-Direct" account open to growers, processors, dispensary owners, transporters, waste disposal operators and laboratories, plus armored cash pickup for an industry that still runs largely on cash because federal law keeps most banks away from it.

That is a real business built on a real gap in the market. It is also a business whose growth tracks almost perfectly with the rise of the industry Drummond's current office is supposed to police, and it is worth remembering exactly who sits on its boards while doing so.

There have been a cascade of endorsements for Mazzei from proven conservative current and former elected officials. Drummond has some legislative endorsements, but they're from the kind of legislators who serve the interests of lobbyists and treat conservatives with disdain.

Oklahoma needs a genuinely conservative governor who understands finance and has a record of working for limited government. That's Mike Mazzei.

Superintendent of Public Instruction: James Taylor

The State Superintendent supervises instruction in the public schools, serves as chairman of the State Board of Education, advises the board, adopts policies and makes rules for the State Department of Education, and interprets board policies and rules. Together, the Superintendent and the Governor (who appoints all the State Board of Education members) set the overall direction of public education in Oklahoma, and we need officials in those roles who share Oklahoma's conservative values, who are committed to methods of education that work, who believe the United States of America is a great country worthy of our love and allegiance, who will shun woke nonsense and educational fads, and who will not be beholden to teachers' unions, educational consultants, curriculum publishers, and other groups that exploit our generous educational spending.

James Taylor is a government and history teacher at Little Axe Public Schools. He has been a public school classroom teacher for 18 years. Outside the classroom, Taylor is a pastor, is the author of a book, It's Biblical Not Political! How To Line Candidates Up Biblically, and producer of a documentary, Critical Race Theory vs. The Bible. (Here's a 2021 sermon on the latter topic.)

Taylor has detailed his policy agenda on his campaign website. Here's a summary:

• Teacher Recruitment & Retention: Oklahoma must recruit and keep more quality teachers: Improve retention through teacher support and clear expectations. Strengthen the teacher pipeline with practical pathways into the classroom. Promote compensation and workplace respect that keep educators in Oklahoma.
• Legislative Alignment for Schools: Education policy must be built with teachers and parents, not around them: Work directly with legislators, educators, and families on practical reforms. Advance laws that support learning rather than distract from instruction. Keep local school voices central in statewide decisions.
• Academic Excellence / Literacy & Math: Student achievement in reading, writing, and math must be the core mission: Set clear academic goals and report progress transparently. Prioritize classroom time on foundational skills. Move Oklahoma from the bottom of national rankings toward the top.
• Parent Partnership & Local Voice: Parents are essential partners in student success: Improve transparency so parents understand curriculum and outcomes. Protect meaningful parent input in local school decisions. Support family engagement as a driver of student achievement.
• Safe Schools & Student Well-Being: Schools should be disciplined, respectful, and safe for every student: Promote strong behavioral standards and consistent enforcement. Support student well-being without lowering academic expectations. Keep school campuses focused on learning and character development.
• Teacher Respect & Professional Support: Teachers deserve leadership that listens and equips them to succeed: Reduce unnecessary burdens that pull teachers away from instruction. Provide practical support, training, and classroom resources. Create a culture of professionalism and shared responsibility.
• Constitutional & Civic Instruction: Civics, constitutional understanding, and character matter in education: Reinforce foundational American principles in instruction. Encourage responsible citizenship and community service. Protect space for faith-informed values and moral clarity.
• Budget Accountability: Increased spending must produce better student outcomes: Track results, not just budget growth. Focus dollars on classroom impact and academic performance. Expect clear accountability from systems receiving public funds.
• Classroom-Focused Priorities: School leadership should remove barriers and let teachers teach: Reduce bureaucracy and non-instructional distractions. Prioritize proven classroom practices. Keep policy focused on student learning, not politics.
• Career & Technical Readiness: Students need multiple pathways to successful futures: Expand career tech opportunities and apprenticeship connections. Align programs with Oklahoma workforce needs. Prepare graduates for college, careers, and service.
• 3 C's Decision Framework: Every major decision should pass three tests: Constitution, Conscience, Constituents: If it violates the Constitution, the answer is no. If it violates conscience, the answer is no. If it hurts Oklahoma families and students, the answer is no.

That's exactly the education program Oklahoma needs.

Liberals have claimed that, because James Taylor is a conservative and Ryan Walters is a conservative, that Taylor would be "Ryan Walters 2.0." But Taylor said at the pre-primary debate that Walters picked unnecessary fights, engaged in name-calling, and suffered self-inflicted damage that got in the way of needed reforms. Taylor will focus on the job; Walters seemed to be trying to make headlines and attract the attention of the Trump administration. (Walters does deserve credit for pressuring Tulsa Public Schools over poor academic performance, which led to the resignation of the loathsome Deborah Gist, opening the door to new leadership and performance improvement under Dr. Ebony Johnson.)

As we wrote recently, Robert Franklin has demonstrated his contempt for conservative Christians and Republican runoff voters with his endorsement of a book that labels conservative Christians as hateful and with the careful scrubbing of his social media accounts to hide past political commentary. Robert Franklin changed his party registration from Democrat to Republican on May 19, 2023 , after 43 years as a registered Democrat. Charlie Meadows writes of Franklin's vaunted experience, "Dr. Franklin is a highly certified educator and administrator that represents everything that the education establishment has done over the past 40 to 50 year which has driven up the cost of education only to see the academic performance of students decline."

Commissioner of Labor: Kevin West

The Commissioner of Labor's job is to promote the interests of Oklahoma wage earners. The office oversees the minimum wage, occupational safety, occupational licensing, labor relations, amusement rides, boilers and pressure vessels, child labor law enforcement, and the unemployment system.

State Rep. Kevin West has spent his career as a cabinet maker and the owner of a cabinet-making small business. He has a stalwart conservative voting record with high rankings on all the conservative scorecards. West's priorities are to:

1. Rebuild the Pipeline of Skilled Trades
2. Stand with Small Businesses & Local Contractors
3. Promote Safety Through Partnership, Not Punishment
4. Support Veterans & Second Chances
5. Prepare for the Future of Work & Secure America's Future

West's opponent, State Rep. John Pfeiffer has low ratings from conservative groups. According to Jamison Faught, who compiled a comparison of candidate records on tax increases, Pfeiffer "voted for $3.7 billion in tax increases and to make it far easier for the Legislature to raise your taxes."

Among West's many conservative endorsements: Cathy Costello, widow of Commissioner of Labor Mark Costello.

I wholeheartedly support and endorse Kevin West for Labor Commissioner!! He has the résumé, 40+ years experience as a cabinet maker and craftsman, business owner, and a conservative legislator who has advocated for and passed laws for young people to become apprentices in the skilled trades. He understands the importance of safety, OSHA, and licensing. The Costello family wholeheartedly and 100% supports Kevin and I know that my late husband, Labor Commissioner Mark Costello would also be supporting Kevin as our next Labor Commissioner! Please get out and vote for Kevin West for Labor Commissioner in the run-off Tuesday, August 25th. This is very important for our workforce and all Oklahomans!

Insurance Commissioner: Marty Quinn

The Insurance Commissioner enforces Oklahoma's insurance regulations. He has to strike a careful balance of ensuring fair rates and full, prompt payments to policyholders without deterring insurance companies from writing policies in our state.

This is the only one of the four races that has two OKGOP Certified candidates in the runoff, but of the two, only former State Rep. and State Sen. Marty Quinn has a legislative record that backs up his support for the conservative principles of the Republican platform, and he says that his experience in both houses of the legislature will enable him to get needed policy improvements into law.

"There's no evidence of whether he's going to be a progressive, or a moderate, or what he's going to be," Quinn said. "You can go and look at my Second Amendment votes or my tax votes. It is a track record. I talk about legal reform for everybody. Bob never started talking about legal reform until a couple of weeks before the primary."

Here is Marty Quinn's list of priorities:

• MORE COMPETITION: Recruit quality carriers back to Oklahoma so families have real choices, not just one or two overpriced options
• MORE ACCOUNTABILITY: Hold insurance companies' feet to the fire on slow-walked claims, unfair denials, and runaway rate hikes
• MORE TRANSPARENCY: Force insurers to open their books so Oklahomans can see exactly where their premium dollars go
• FASTER CLAIMS, FEWER EXCUSES: Crack down on companies that drag out claims and hide behind fine print while families wait
• PROTECT HOMEOWNERS: Stop insurers from dropping coverage over roof age or a single claim and defend Oklahoma's property owners
• TORT REFORM: Support common-sense legal reforms to curb lawsuit abuse, stabilize the insurance market, and help bring down costs for Oklahoma families and small businesses

Sullivan is backed by a number of prominent trial attorneys, including some, according to NonDoc, who are engaged in lawsuits against State Farm Insurance Company.

Quinn has endorsements from many who served with him in the legislature, such as Congressman Josh Brecheen, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau's political action committee, American Farmers and Ranchers, and former Insurance Commissioner John Doak.

There's a testimonial from his pastor, too:

Marty and his wife, Kelley, have been happily married for 42 years. Together, they have raised two children, built a successful local small business, and remained deeply rooted in Oklahoma's community fabric. "He is a man who listens to learn and understand." For decades, Marty has served faithfully as a church deacon at the Blue Starr Church of Christ in Claremore, quietly volunteering his time to support local families during seasons of loss, economic hardship, and spiritual need. They go beyond normal expectations in their service to others.

"Marty approaches everything in life with an attitude of stewardship," Mike Schroeder shared during a recent interview. "Whether he was helping an insurance client navigate a catastrophic house claim in the middle of the night, working on a complex legislative bill, or simply serving our local congregation, he acts with absolute integrity. He believes that leadership isn't about power or position--it's about protecting the people you have been called to serve."

Quinn has been criticized and his eligibility questioned for spending a couple of years recently living in Arkansas. Quinn's response:

The facts are simple:

• We spent 28 years living in Claremore, raising our family, building our careers, and serving our community.
• We moved to Arkansas for a few years to care for aging parents who needed us. It's where God called us to be at that time.
• During that time, we lost two parents, and after returning to Oklahoma, we moved my mother into our home so we could continue caring for family.
• Oklahoma law requires candidates for Insurance Commissioner to have lived in the state for five years, and those years do not have to be consecutive.
• We have lived in Oklahoma for 30 years total, far exceeding the legal requirement.
• We have received a letter from the Attorney General's Office that we meet all legal requirements to run.
• We are honored to have the endorsement and support of former Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D Doak, who knows firsthand what it takes to serve Oklahoma consumers.

We will never apologize for taking care of family when they needed us most. In fact, the same commitment, compassion, and sense of responsibility that guided us then is exactly how we will serve Oklahoma families as your next Insurance Commissioner.