Nine candidates are running for the Republican nomination for governor of Oklahoma on June 16, 2026. Four have led in media attention: Gentner Drummond (R), Chip Keating (R), Mike Mazzei (R), and Charles McCall (R). Incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) is term-limited and retiring from public office.
The Oklahoman's Alex Gladden wrote, "In Oklahoma, a highly conservative state, the Republican primary often determines who will be the next governor." In 2024, Donald Trump (R) received 66.2% of the vote, and it was Trump's fifth-best performance in any state that year. In 2022, Gov. Stitt was re-elected with 55% of the vote. The last Democrat elected governor was Brad Henry (D) in 2006.
Oklahoma Watch's Keaton Ross wrote, "[A]t a moment when no one knows exactly what the post-Trump Republican Party will look like nationwide in 2028 and beyond, the June 16 primary in this reddest of states has become an under-the-radar test case. Is it possible, as Drummond seems to be betting, that Republicans’ appetite for hardcore culture-war politics has finally begun to wane? ... Or are McCall and his fellow social conservatives correct that waging an all-out culture war remains the surest path to the hearts of the Republican base?"
Drummond was elected state attorney general in 2022. He is campaigning on reducing costs, and his campaign website includes a pledge to "cut taxes responsibly without sacrificing schools, roads, or public safety." Drummond is also campaigning on improving relationships with the state's tribal communities: "What you will find in my administration shortly after my inauguration are intergovernmental compacts through which the tribes permit the state of Oklahoma to prosecute in the name of the tribe and adjudicate in the name of the tribe and incarcerate in the name of the tribe." The Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Drummond.
Keating is a former secretary of public safety and the son of former Gov. Frank Keating (R). He is campaigning on reducing homelessness and crime, and his website says he would "clean the streets, enforce the law, and expand pathways to recovery. Allowing chaos isn't compassionate to the homeless or working Oklahomans." Keating is also campaigning to reduce the number of individuals entering the country without legal permission, saying on his website, "A steadfast supporter of President Trump's successful immigration policies, Chip believes in sealing the border and partnering with ICE and other federal agencies to secure Oklahoma and America." The Oil & Gas Workers Association endorsed Keating.
Mazzei is a former Oklahoma Secretary of Budget and a former state senator. He is campaigning to eliminate the state's property tax, and said to afford the cut, he would "promote pro growth economy with lower income taxes and less regulations." Mazzei is also campaigning to stop foreign ownership of public lands, and his campaign website says he wants to "prohibit foreign governments and foreign-controlled companies from owning Oklahoma land." U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) endorsed Mazzei.
McCall is the former speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He is campaigning on his experience, and says on his campaign website, "As the longest-serving Speaker in Oklahoma history, Charles led the charge to defend freedom, protect life, cut taxes, secure the border, and restore common sense in our government." McCall is also campaigning on removing the state's income tax, and his campaign website says he wants to "fully eliminate the state income tax entirely while keeping property taxes low and protecting core services." The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) endorsed McCall.
Jennifer Domenico-Tillett (R), Jake Merrick (R), Leisa Mitchell Haynes (R), Kenneth Sturgell (R), Calup Anthony Taylor (R) are also running.
If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the two candidates with the most votes will advance to a runoff on August 25, 2026.