Former state senator Mike Mazzei secured the Republican nomination for governor in Tuesday’s runoff election, edging out Attorney General Gentner Drummond by a slim 2,047-vote margin.
The race was too close to call for much of the evening, with the final tally coming in at 50.3% for Mazzei and 49.7% for Drummond.
“Wow. We wanted to keep you on the edge of your seats for a little while, or at on the edge of my seat,” Mazzei told supporters gathered for his watch party in Tulsa Tuesday night as he took the stage around 10 p.m. to deliver his victory speech.
Mazzei, who secured an endorsement from President Trump prior to June’s primary election, thanked Trump for getting him across the finish line and called Drummond a “fierce competitor.”
“If you had told me 10 years ago that today I would be standing in front of you as the Republican nominee for governor, I would have never believed you,” Mazzei said. “God can do impossible things when you put your trust in Him and you never give up.”
Conceding the race at his watch party in Oklahoma City, Drummond told supporters the voters had spoken and he respected their decision.
“I’ve had the extraordinary privilege of serving the people of Oklahoma, and tonight, even in disappointment, I’m grateful,” Drummond said. “We fought hard. We told the truth. We stood up for what we believed in, and we gave Oklahoma a choice.
There’s honor in that, and tonight we accept Oklahoma’s choice. But hear me clearly: We concede an election. We do not surrender our convictions. We do not lower our expectations, and we do not stop believing that Oklahoma can be stronger, safer, healthier, better educated and more prosperous than it is today.”
Tuesday’s Republican runoff saw nearly a 29% voter turnout statewide, with Garvin County’s turnout slightly lower at just over 25%.
Mazzei now moves to the November general election ballot where he will face Democrat Cyndi Munson and three Independent candidates: Robert Brooks, Orlando Lynn Bush and Jerry Griffin.
State Questions
Voters approved State Question 846 Tuesday, which secures the requirement for voter identification in the state Constitution. The measure passed 54.6% to 45.4% statewide. In Garvin County the margin was wider, with 60.2% of voters for the measure and 39.8% against.
State Question 844, which would have made changes to how reimbursements tied to a 5-year ad valorem tax exemption for manufacturers are handled by the state, failed, with 73.8% of voters against the SQ, and 26.3% in favor. Voter turnout for that election was around 22% statewide.
Other runoff results
In the Republican runoff for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, Robert Franklin defeated James Taylor 54.6% to 45.4%. Franklin moves on to face Democratic nominee Jennettie Marshall in November.
Kevin West captured the Republican nomination for Labor Commissioner with 58.3% of votes cast, over opponent John Pfeiffer. West will appear on November’s ballot with Democrat Kevin Dawson and Libertarian Mike Hall.
The Republican nomination for Insurance Commissioner went to Bob Sullivan, who took 55.2% of the votes statewide, leaving opponent Marty Quinn at 44.8% of votes. Among Garvin County voters, Quinn pulled a larger percentage, with 52.5% of the Garvin County vote.
Sullivan will face Democrat Craig MacIntyre in the November general election.
In the Democrat runoff for U.S. Senator, N’Kiyla Thomas won the nomination with 61.2% of votes cast, over Jim Priest, who earned 38.8% of votes. Despite the statewide loss, Priest took Garvin County, with 54% of county Democrats who voted casting their ballots for him.
Thomas will face Republican Kevin Hern in November, along with Libertarian candidate Sevier White and Independent candidates Ron Meinhardt and Curtis Stinnett.
All of Tuesday’s election results are unofficial until certified by the State Election Board.
