By Constitution Staff

The candidate filing period for offices for the 2026 Oklahoma elections will be April 1-3, and numerous candidates have already announced for the various offices. In non-presidential election years, a host of state offices are up for election. The list includes the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor and Inspector, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Labor Commissioner, Insurance Commissioner, and one of the seats on the Corporation Commission. The Republican candidates won all of these statewide races in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. The Primary Elections will be held on June 16, 2026, and the Runoff Primary Elections on August 25, 2026. The General Election will be on November 3, 2026.

GOVERNOR

Republican Governor Kevin Stitt is serving his second and final four-year term. Due to Oklahoma term-limits, Stitt cannot run for another term in 2026. Seven Republicans and one Democrat have filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission for the governor’s race.

Leisa Mitchell Haynes, 60, was the first Republican candidate out of the gate, announcing her campaign last year. She has a background in media and positions in city and state government. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from East Central University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. She has worked as a city manager in Mangum, Tuttle and also a city in New Mexico. She later worked as a Main Street Manager in Purcell and Shawnee. She continued work in the Main Street program at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and served as assistant director at the agency from 1989 to 2001. She has also had experience in small business as owner of Gas-n-Snak in Choctaw. She has been a candidate for office before, running unsuccessfully for Oklahoma County Clerk and Harrah mayor.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced on January 13 that he will be a Republican candidate for governor. Drummond, 60, served as an Air Force pilot during the Gulf War, and is an attorney, rancher, and businessman. He is the principal owner of Blue Sky Bank. He was elected Oklahoma Attorney General in 2022 after losing the GOP nomination in 2018 to former Attorney General Mike Hunter. Before running for AG, he had not previously been active in the Republican Party and had contributed to Democrat candidates who ran against Sen. Jim Inhofe, Sen. Tom Coburn, and Rep. Jim Bridenstine. He also contributed to Joe Biden in August of 2020. Drummond’s campaign has a head start in funding with funds rolled over from his Attorney General campaign account.

On February 18, former Speaker of the Oklahoma House, Charles McCall of Atoka, announced he would be a candidate for the GOP nomination. McCall, 55, was elected to represent District 22 in the House of Representatives in 2012 and served as Oklahoma’s 48th Speaker of the House from 2017-2024, the longest tenured Speaker in Oklahoma history. He was term-limited in 2024 and could not run again. After earning a degree in finance and economics from the University of Oklahoma, McCall built his career as president and CEO of AmeriState Bank, expanding it to serve broader regions of Oklahoma and Texas. McCall’s political career began locally as a city councilman and later as mayor of Atoka. During his legislative career he was consistently one of the more politically moderate Republicans, earning a 63% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

Former State Senator Mike Mazzei, 60, announced April 3 his run for the Republican nomination for Oklahoma governor in 2026. Mazzei is the Founder and CEO of Trinity Strategic Wealth, a financial management firm. He was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 2004 and served Senate District 25 for 12 years and could not run for reelection in 2016 due to term-limits. He chaired the Senate Finance Committee for a decade and pushed for tax cuts, pension reform, and ending ineffective tax credits. He was one of the more politically moderate Republicans in the Oklahoma Legislature, earning just a 64% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index. After leaving the Senate, Mazzei joined Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt as his Secretary of Budget from 2019 to 2020.

Former State Senator Jake Merrick, 43, of Tuttle was next to join the race. He won a special election to fill the remainder of the vacant Senate District 22 seat in central Oklahoma following the resignation of Senator Stephanie Bice after she won the Fifth District Congressional seat in 2020. He served from 2021 to 2022, but was defeated for reelection to a full term in 2022. Merrick is a seminary graduate, college professor, business owner, and former pastor. He has been adjunct professor of Biblical Studies and Philosophy at Southwestern Christian University. Until leaving for the campaign, he was the radio host of the popular Jake Merrick Show on Freedom 96.9-FM talk radio. He also does the Jake for the State Podcast. During his time in the Senate he earned a 76% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index. His announced intention that he will limit accepting campaign contributions might also limit the success of his campaign.

Chip Keating, a businessman and longtime public servant, announced October 1 that he is entering the race. Keating, 45, is the youngest son of former Republican Gov. Frank Keating who served two-terms (1995-2003). He is a former Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper, he was appointed Secretary of Public Safety by Gov. Stitt at the start of his administration, and has spent more than two decades in the private sector working in Oklahoma's oil and gas industry.

The remaining Republican to announce for the race is Kenneth Leroy Sturgell, 62, of Goldsby. He is an HVAC/Mechanical Contractor.

State Representative Cyndi Munson, the Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, announced on April 15 that she will seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2026. She is the first, and so far the only, Democrat to declare for the 2026 Oklahoma Governor’s race. Munson, 39, was first elected in a 2015 special election. She was elected to a full term in 2016 and reelected in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024. She will be term-limited in 2028. She has mostly worked in the non-profit sector including a long stint at the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma. During her time in the Oklahoma Legislature she has compiled a strong liberal record, earning only an 11% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index, and scored zero in the 2025 ratings.

For those who want to know more about the candidates for governor, Randall University in Moore will be hosting a forum on February 19 of next year, for the candidates. Munson declined an invitation to participate. Randall University is located at 3701 South I-35 in Moore. For more information, call 405-919-9028.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell was elected to the office in 2018 and is completing his second and final term, due to term-limits. Five Republicans and two Democrats have campaign organizations registered with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd was the first candidate to register for a campaign for lieutenant governor in 2026. Byrd, 53, is a CPA and has spent over two decades in state government. Before her election to the post, she served as Deputy Auditor and Inspector. Byrd was elected Auditor and Inspector in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Due to term-limits, she could not run for reelection in 2026.

State Sen. Darrell Weaver (R-Moore) announced in April that he will run for lieutenant governor. Weaver was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2018, and reelected in 2022. He served for over 28 years in law enforcement, including the last nine years as director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Cameron University and a master’s in business administration from Oklahoma Christian University. He has a 71% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

State Representative Justin Humphrey (R-Lane) joined the race for lieutenant governor in July. He was elected to the Oklahoma House in 2016. Humphrey has a background in law enforcement, experience as a drug court administrator, and ranching. He worked for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for twenty years before retiring. A southeastern Oklahoma native and Atoka High School graduate, he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in business administration from East Central University. He has a 63% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

Victor Flores of Edmond was the next to announce for the Republican nomination. He has previously worked as an administrator for the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and is currently a managing principal for REDW, an accounting firm serving tribes and tribal enterprises. He is the founder and President of the Oklahoma Tribal Finance Consortium.

State Rep. Brian Hill (R-Mustang) was the most recent candidate to announce for the Republican nomination. He has served in the Oklahoma House since 2018 and is chairman of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee. Before serving in the Legislature, Hill spent two decades running 14 businesses. He has a 70% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

Kelly Forbes of Oklahoma City became the first Democrat to announce for the race. A fluent Spanish speaker, Kelly has served as a classroom teacher, in school administration, as a federal programs director, director of dual language education, and an adjunct professor. He is the owner of Kelly B’s Consulting, where he helps schools and communities navigate the education and government bureaucracy.

Candice Jay of Oklahoma City has also entered the race for the Democrat nomination. The Navy veteran and single mom is a self-described “advocate” and has been involved in protests against Ryan Walters for several years and active in other liberal political causes.

STATE AUDITOR AND INSPECTOR

State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd is term-limited and running for lieutenant governor in 2026. Deputy State Auditor Melissa Capps of McLoud has announced she is running for the Republican nomination. Capps, 51, has served in the agency for over 25 years. In her first decade with the office, she worked in the State Agency Audit Division. She currently serves as the Director of the Performance Audit Division. Capps holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Central Oklahoma.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

With the current Attorney General, Gentner Drummond, seeking the governor’s office rather than running for reelection in 2026, the AG office will be an open seat. Two Republicans and a Democrat have registered with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

Former state Representative Jon Echols (R-Oklahoma City) announced on February 26 as a candidate for the GOP nomination for Attorney General in 2026. He was the first candidate to declare for the post since Drummond announced his intention to run for Governor. Echols, 45, was elected to his west Oklahoma City House seat in 2012 and served eight years as Majority Floor Leader. He was unable to run for reelection in 2024 due to term-limits. During his legislative career he was been one of the more politically moderate Republicans, earning just a 65% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

Attorney Jeff Starling is also running for the Republican nomination. He was appointed by Governor Stitt last year as Secretary of Energy and Environment. Starling served as chief legal and administrative officer and corporate secretary at Lagoon Water Midstream. Before joining Lagoon, Starling was assistant general counsel at Devon Energy Corp., where he managed litigation efforts and supported operational business units. He also previously worked as a partner at McGuireWoods LLP in Richmond, Virginia, and served as a legislative aide to former U.S. Sen. John W. Warner of Virginia. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University, and holds a law degree and a bachelor’s degree in political science.

In October, a Democrat announced for the office. Nick Coffey is a career prosecutor who recently left the U.S. Department of Justice. Coffey, 34, graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He worked at McAfee & Taft law firm before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma where he served for the past seven years.

STATE TREASURER

Republican State Treasurer Todd Russ was elected in 2022 and has announced he is running for reelection to second four-year term. Russ could not run for reelection to the Oklahoma House in 2022 due to Term Limits. He had a 68% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index for the 12-years he served in the Oklahoma House. Russ, 65, of Cordell has more than 35 years of banking experience. He served as President and CEO of Washita State Bank in Burns Flat from 2003-2008. He sold the majority of his bank stock and began management consulting with banks and businesses in 2008. During his banking career, Russ served as a director of the Oklahoma Bankers Association (OBA) and Chairman of OBA’s Small Bank Council.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Republican Ryan Walters resigned as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, effective September 30, to become Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA). On October 2, Governor Stitt named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to serve the remainder of Walters’ term which expires in January 2027. Fields said he will not seek election to the post next year.

Even before Walters revealed if he would run for reelection in 2026, several candidates had already announced their intention to run for the post. But, with the office becoming an open seat due to Walters’ resignation, more candidates have joined the race, while others dropped out. Three Republicans, two Democrats, and an independent candidate are currently running.

Republican Rob Miller had been a critic of Ryan Walters and in February became the first to announce a run for state superintendent. He has been an educator for 27 years and recently retired as superintendent of Bixby Public Schools where he had been superintendent since 2018.

Dr. John Cox joined the list of candidates in June. He is the long-time superintendent of Peggs Public Schools in eastern Oklahoma. Cox, 61, is a career government educator for over three decades working as a math teacher, coach, and administrator. He was the Democrat nominee for the office in 2014 and 2018, losing both times to Joy Hofmeister who was a Republican in those elections. In 2022 Cox switched parties and ran as a Republican and finished in third place in the GOP Primary.

State Senator Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) joined the race after Walters resigned and is the chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Pugh was first elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2016 and reelected in 2024. He is in the middle of his term and will continue to serve in the Senate while running for state superintendent. Due to legislative term limits he will not be able to run for reelection to the Senate in 2028. Senator Pugh has been one of the more moderate Republicans in the Legislature, with a 66% cumulative average score on the Oklahoma Conservative Index rating.

Democrat Jennette Marshall served for two terms on the Tulsa Public Schools board, but did not run for a third term this year. She is the founding Pastor of Living Sanctuary Evangelistic Ministries and has also served as a Chaplain for the Tulsa Police Department. She worked 17 years as a Probation and Parole Officer and case manager for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, and three years as a Child Welfare Investigator with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

Former El Reno Public Schools Superintendent Craig McVay spent 35 years in public schools doing almost every job. He became the second Democrat to enter the race.

Jerry Griffin is running as an Independent. He ran for the Tulsa Police and Fire Commission in 1974. He was elected to the Tulsa Public Schools board in 2020 and served for over three years until he resigned in 2024. In 2022 he ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Tulsa City Council.

LABOR COMMISSIONER

Commissioner of Labor Leslie Osborn was first elected to the office in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. She cannot run for reelection in 2026 due to term-limits.

State Rep. John Pfeiffer (R-Mulhall) has officially announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in April. The Marine Corps veteran is a rancher in Logan County. He was elected to District 38 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2014 and cannot run for reelection in 2026 due to term-limits. During his legislative career he was been one of the more politically moderate Republicans, earning only a 56% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

Lisa Janloo, 35, was the second Republican candidate to announce for Labor Commissioner. She is the State Director of the L.U.C.A Foundation (Latinos United for Conservative Action) which works to bring conservative communities into political spaces. She grew up alongside her father, who immigrated to the U.S. after the Iranian Revolution, helping to run their family-owned business. She founded a homeschool program during COVID-19 pandemic. Janloo is Vice President of the Spencer Chamber of Commerce and the Chair of the Spencer Parks Board. She ran for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representative in 2022 and for the Spencer City Council in 2023.

State Rep. Kevin West (R-Moore) is the latest candidate to join the race for the Republican nomination. Rep. West was first elected in 2016 and reelected in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024. has built a strong record of advancing pro-business legislation and strengthening Oklahoma’s workforce. He has held manufacturing jobs, worked in the commercial cabinet industry, and owned and operated his own cabinet shop. During his legislative career he was been one of the more politically conservative Republicans, earning an 81% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER

Current Republican Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready was first elected in 2018 and is completing his second and final term due to term-limits. Two candidates have announced campaigns for the Republican nomination.

Chris Merideth is running for the Republican nomination for the open seat in 2026. Merideth has nearly 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Merideth says he will focus on four key areas during the campaign. They are consumer protection without overreach, business-friendly reforms, lower costs and greater access, and opposing federal overreach.

Former State Representative and State Senator Marty Quinn of (R-Claremore), now of Oklahoma City, has joined the race for the GOP nomination. In 2022 he was term-limited for his state senate seat and ran for the open seat for the Congress in the Second District, losing the GOP nomination in the crowded primary. During his time in the Senate, he earned a 72% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index. Quinn, 65, has spent his professional career in the insurance business, and was Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee where he worked to cut red tape, improve transparency, and protect consumers.

CORPORATION COMMISSIONER

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission regulates oil and gas drilling, electric and gas utilities, trucking, pipelines, and telecommunications in Oklahoma. There are three Corporation Commission seats with six-year staggered terms. So, every two years one of the seats is up for reelection. The seat held by Republican Todd Hiett is up for election this year. Hiett cannot run for reelection this year due to Term Limits. The other incumbents are Commissioners Kim David and Brian Bingman. Two Republicans have registered campaigns for the open seat.

Justin Hornback, 42, of Broken Arrow has run twice previously and is making another run in 2026. He was the first to announce for the open seat this time. Hornback’s career in the energy industry has provided him with a unique perspective on the issues facing the Corporation Commission. He has over two decades of experience in the energy industry, with knowledge concerning transmission pipelines, energy generation, regulations, and safety. He has worked as a Pipeline Welder/Welding Inspector/Specialist in Safety and Health. He also worked with the leadership of the Pipeliners Union 798 between 2017 and 2021. He previously ran for a seat on the Corporation Commission in 2022, finishing in third place in the Republican Primary. He ran again in 2024 and finished in second place in the GOP Primary.

State Representative Brad Boles, 41, of Marlow has also announced for the Republican nomination for the Corporation Commission seat. Boles is the chairman of the House Energy & Natural Resources Oversight Committee. He was first elected to the seat in the Oklahoma House in a special election March 2018 and won a full two-year term in November 2018. He was reelected in 2020, 2022 and 2024. He has a 73% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

More candidates are expected to announce their campaigns for the various state offices in the coming months. Once incumbents who are not term-limited announce if they are running for reelection, other candidates may emerge. And, with many more members of the Oklahoma Legislature reaching term-limits next year, some will attempt the leap to higher office.