By Constitution Staff

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 have won all of these statewide races during the last two decades. The last time a Democrat was elected to one of these offices was 2006.

The 2026 political party Primary Elections were held on June 16. In races where no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers went head-to-head in the Runoff Primary Elections on August 25. The offices on the General Election ballot will include the nominees of the opposing political parties, and/or independent candidates.

GOVERNOR

Republican Governor Kevin Stitt is completing his second and final four-year term. Due to Oklahoma Term Limits, Governor Stitt could not run for another term in 2026. Fifteen candidates filed for the open seat, including nine Republicans, three Democrats, and three independents (no political party).

With nine candidates competing for the Republican nomination, it was expected that a runoff would be necessary to select the nominee. The top two contenders in the June 16 primary election were in a virtual tie. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond took first place with 26.25%, finishing slightly ahead of former State Senator Mike Mazzei who garnered 25.97 percent.

The Republican runoff was also very close, with Mazzei receiving 186,734 votes (50.28%), edging out Drummond who received 184,681 (49.72%). The GOP Runoff battle saw a continuation of the vicious and expensive battle leading up to the June 16 primary. Both Drummond and Mazzei ran expensive campaigns, much of it fueled by their personal wealth. Mazzei now moves to the General Election where he is favored to be elected.

Former State Senator Mike Mazzei, 60, of Tulsa is the founder and CEO of Trinity Strategic Wealth, a financial management firm. He was first elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2004 where he served 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. Based on his score on the Oklahoma Conservative Index, he was one of the more politically moderate Republicans in the Oklahoma Legislature – he earned a 64% cumulative average. However, it should be noted that he missed a number of votes following his recovery from a broken back as a result of an accident. So, his score would likely have been higher if he had been there for those votes. After leaving the Senate, Mazzei joined Gov. Kevin Stitt as his Secretary of Budget from 2019 to 2020.

Mazzei received President Donald Trump’s endorsement. President Trump reiterated his support for Mazzei on Truth Social following the June 16 primary, saying Mazzei had Trump’s “COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement” and Trump also called Drummond a “fake Republican.” Gov. Kevin Stitt endorsed Mazzei following the primary election. He also received the endorsement of former State Senator Jake Merrick, who was the fifth place finisher in the primary. Mazzei will now face the Democrat nominee and three independents.

State Representative Cyndi Munson, 41, of Oklahoma City is the Minority (Democrat) Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She easily secured the Democratic Party nomination for governor in the June 16 primary, receiving 74.93% of the vote over two other contenders.

Munson was first elected to the Oklahoma House in a 2015 Special Election. She was elected to a full term in 2016 and reelected in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024. She would have been term-limited from running for reelection in 2028. She has mostly worked in the non-profit sector including a long stint for the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma.

It has been two decades since a Democrat was elected governor – in 2006 Gov. Brad Henry was reelected to a second term. After she won the Democrat nomination, Munson said: “I know what it takes to win in Oklahoma because I’ve done it before, and I believe that we can rally enough support to elect the first Democratic Governor in 20 years.”

Perhaps Munson’s key to winning in November is to hide her voting record. During her time in the Oklahoma Legislature she has compiled a very liberal record, earning only an 11% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index. As the leader of the Democrats in the Oklahoma House she has demonstrated support of the same liberal positions advocated by the national Democratic Party.

It should come as no surprise that Rep. Munson voted against every piece of legislation to end abortion. Most notably, she voted against Senate Bill 612 in 2022 to reinstate the Oklahoma abortion laws that were invalidated in 1973 with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. The bill was dubbed the “Trigger Law” because it would automatically go into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, which it did later in 2022.

Munson has been an advocate for the transgender movement. In 2024 she voted against Senate Bill 613 which banned genital mutilation of minors (under age 18) to transition to another sex. This included surgical removal of female breasts and male penises. Also in 2024, she voted against Senate Bill 2 prohibiting biological males from playing on athletic teams designated for females. And, that year she also voted against Senate Bill 615 which limits the use of restroom and changing rooms designated by sex to be used based on the biological sex identified on their birth certificate.

Munson has supported immigrants who entered the United States illegally. In 2025, she voted against House Bill 4156 making it a criminal act to reside in Oklahoma after entering the country illegally. Also in 2025, she voted against Senate Bill 20 which prevents non-citizens from holding a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) enabling them to drive large trucks. In 2024, she voted against Senate Bill 377 requiring cancellation of the voter registration of non-U.S. citizens.

Munson has not been a defender of the Second Amendment for gun rights. In 2024, she voted against Senate Bill 608 which established Oklahoma’s “Constitutional Carry of Firearms.” In 2025, she voted against House Bill 2818 which allows a property owner to defensively display a firearm in the protection of their property. Previously this was an illegal act which involved a fine. Munson has been given an “F” rating by the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association.

Munson voted for large tax increases and opposed measures to reduce taxes. In the Special Session of 2018, she voted for House Bill 1010XX which was the largest Oklahoma tax increase package in over 30 years. In 2025 she voted against House Bill 2764 to reduce and eventually eliminate the state income tax. In 2026, she voted against placing the state question on the ballot to lower the cap on property tax increases.

So, any thought that Cindi Munson is some kind of common sense Democrat is not supported by her voting record.

Some misguided Republicans have – despite Munson’s far-left voting record and positions – suggested casting a protest vote for Munson, because they do not like Mazzei for one reason or another. They argue that with such an overwhelming Republican majority in the Legislature she would be “powerless” as governor. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Oklahoma is still suffering from bad appointments made by Democratic Governor Brad Henry, who left the Governor’s Mansion many years ago. For example, the Oklahoma Supreme Court recently upheld that the State of Oklahoma did not have to change a person’s birth certificate to update their sex designated at birth. The vote was 6-3. Imagine that a shift of only two judges – a certainty under Munson who is strongly in favor of the LGBTQ+ Agenda – would likely have produced a contrary result.

Munson could also be expected to name left-wing individuals to the state school board. Along with Robert Franklin, who is expected to win the post of state school superintendent in November, they would impose this socially radical agenda on our public schools. She could also be expected to push her radical views through executive orders, pushing the envelope of that agenda.

Independent Candidates

Three candidates filed as independents (no political party) and automatically have a place on the November General Election ballot.

Jerry Griffin, 82, of Tulsa switched from running for the Superintendent of Public Instruction post, to the race for governor. 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.

Robert E. Brooks, Sr., 46, of Moore refused to provide what he called, “a polished, pre-written biography crafted by consultants and political insiders,” so little is known about him. He is heading what he calls the “Farmer Servant Movement” which he says is made up of ordinary, everyday citizens.

Orlando Lynn Bush, 60, of Edmond provided no additional information beyond his age and residence. And, not even a photo could be found for our print edition.

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. Seven candidates filed for the open post, including six Republicans, and one Democrat.

Former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon, 48, of Oklahoma City secured the Republican nomination with 53.76% of the vote in June 16 primary over the five other candidates.

Shannon was first elected to the Oklahoma House in 2006 and reelected in 2008, 2010 and 2012. He did not seek reelection in 2014, opting instead to run in the Special Election for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Tom Coburn. Shannon lost in the primary to former Congressman James Lankford, who still holds that seat. In 2022, Shannon ran in the Special Election for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Jim Inhofe, who like Senator Coburn, resigned before his six-year term was up. Shannon lost in the GOP Runoff Primary to Congressman Markwayne Mullin who went on to win the seat. Shannon was the most conservative Oklahoma House Speaker in modern times, with a cumulative average score of 74% on the Oklahoma Conservative Index. He is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation.

Shannon has been an commentator and guest host for the national Newsmax TV channel. He was the National Chair of Black Voices for Trump in the 2024 campaign. He has been serving in the current Trump administration as Senior Advisor for Rural Prosperity at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. President Trump endorsed Shannon for Lieutenant Governor early in the campaign.

Kelly Forbes, 42, of Oklahoma City was the only Democrat to file, so he automatically advanced to the General Election. He began a career in education in 2008. He has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Oklahoma City University, and two master’s degrees from the University of Central Oklahoma – Bilingual Education and Administrative Leadership. A fluent Spanish speaker, he 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 also the owner of Kelly B’s Consulting, which helps schools and communities navigate the education and government bureaucracy. On the personal side, he lives with his partner, Dr. Chris Culver, who is also involved in education.

STATE AUDITOR AND INSPECTOR

Incumbent State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd was term-limited and decided to run for State Treasurer in 2026. Deputy State Auditor Melissa Capps, 52, of McLoud will assume the office without facing election, since she was the only candidate to file. Capps 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’s office is open. Three candidates filed, including two Republicans and one Democrat.

Former state Representative Jon Echols, 46 of Oklahoma City, secured Republican nomination with 55% of the vote in the June 16 primary. He was first 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 a 65% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

Nick Coffey, 35, of Oklahoma City was the only Democrat to file and automatically advanced to the General Election. He is a career prosecutor who recently left the U.S. Department of Justice. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and worked at the McAfee & Taft law firm before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma where he served for seven years.

STATE TREASURER

Incumbent State Treasurer Todd Russ, 65, of Cordell was elected in 2022 and ran for reelection this year. He was defeated in the June 16 Republican primary by State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, 53, of Coalgate. Byrd won the GOP nomination with 61.65 percent. Byrd was elected state Auditor and Inspector in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Due to Term Limits she could not run for reelection in 2026, and had been running for Lieutenant Governor for over a year, but instead filed for State Treasurer. She 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. No Democrats filed, but there will be a Libertarian candidate on the November ballot.

Libertarian Party candidate – Kiefer Perry, 37, of Broken Bow – is the current Vice Chair for the Oklahoma Libertarian Party. He is a digital creator.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Republican Ryan Walters resigned as State Superintendent of Public Instruction last year to become the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA). Governor Stitt named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to serve the remainder of Walters’ term which expires in January 2027. Fields did not seek election to the post.

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 joined the race, while others dropped out. Nine candidates filed for the position, including seven Republicans and two Democrats.

As was expected with seven Republicans running, no candidate won the GOP nomination in the June 16 primary. So, the top two candidates advanced to the August 25 runoff.

Robert Franklin, 66, of Sand Springs had finished in first place in the June 16 Primary and faced Dr. James Taylor of Oklahoma City in the GOP Runoff. Franklin won the Republican nomination with 54.63% of the vote in the runoff.

Franklin spent the first 29 years of his career in the Sand Springs Public Schools as a special education teacher, principal and district administrator. He then joined the Tulsa Technology Center where he later became the associate superintendent of student affairs. In 2024, he retired from Tulsa Tech and started teaching education courses at the University of Oklahoma’s Tulsa campus. He stepped down that same year from the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board. He had served on the state board from 2018 to 2024, including four years as chair. In 2023, he was one of only two board members who voted against allowing a religious charter school in Oklahoma.

Franklin, switched his political party registration from Democrat to Republican in 2023. In 2022 he had been a contributor to the Democrat candidate for governor. During the primary campaign he recommended a controversial book which also became an issue in the runoff. This year, the Oklahoma Republican Party began the OKGOP Certified Program to let voters know which candidates align with core Republican values. Franklin failed to meet the requirements for certification. He is the only Republican on the November ballot who failed to be certifided.

Jennette Marshall, 67, of Tulsa won the Democratic nomination with 57.69% of the vote in the June 16 primary. Marshall served two terms on the Tulsa Public Schools board. 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.

LABOR COMMISSIONER

Commissioner of Labor Leslie Osborn was first elected to the office in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. She could not run for reelection in 2026 due to Term Limits. Six candidates filed for the post, including four Republicans, one Democrat, and a Libertarian.

None of the Republican candidates received more than 50% of the vote in the June 16 GOP primary. So, the top two finishers advanced to the runoff primary on August 25. State Representative Kevin West, 58, of Moore won the Republican nomination in the runoff with 58.28% of the vote over State Representative John Pfeiffer.

West has held manufacturing jobs, worked in the commercial cabinet industry, and owned and operated his own cabinet shop. He was first elected to the Oklahoma House in 2016 and reelected in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024. During his legislative career he was been one of the more politically conservative Republicans, earning a 79% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

Kevin Dawson, 64, of Norman was the only Democrat to file and automatically advanced to the General Election. He is a retired railroad locomotive engineer. At 18 years old, he started a 43-year career in the railroad industry and became one of the youngest locomotive engineers in the country.

Mike Hall, 59, of Oklahoma City was the only Libertarian Party candidate to file and will be on General Election ballot. Hall says he is newcomer to the political arena and for the past few decades his career has been defined by engineering and project management.

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. Five candidates – four Republicans and one Democrat – filed for the open office.

Since none of the Republicans received more than 50% of the vote in the June 16 primary, the top two contenders went on to compete for the GOP nomination in the August runoff primary. Bob Sullivan, 40, of Inola finished in first place in the June GOP primary and went on to win the Republican nomination with 55.13% of the vote over former state Senator Marty Quinn.

Sullivan is a Certified Risk Manager and provides insurance services to businesses through the Alera Group. He received a B.S. degree from Oklahoma State University majoring in Finance and Accounting.

Craig MacIntyre, 60, of Shawnee was the only Democrat candidate to file and automatically advanced to the General Election. He has worked as an educator, small business owner, and spent over 30 years in the insurance industry. He currently works in property management.

CORPORATION COMMISSIONER

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) 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. Five candidates – two Republicans and three Democrats – filed for the open seat.

Since there were only two candidates running for the Republican nomination, it was assured that one would secure the GOP nomination in the June 16 primary. State Representative Brad Boles, 42, of Marlow finished first and secured the Republican nomination with 55.27 percent of the vote. After serving as mayor of Marlow, he was elected to the Oklahoma House in a Special Election in 2018 and won a full two-year term later in 2018. He was reelected in 2020, 2022 and 2024. He is chairman of the House Energy & Natural Resources Oversight Committee. He has a 71% cumulative average on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.

Rhonda Eastman, 53, of Spiro won the Democratic nomination with 70% of the vote in the June 16 primary. Eastman was state employee for 16 years before returning to the private sector where she has held jobs managing construction projects. During the campaign she said: “I am not a politician. I am not wealthy.” She is now a politician.