Oklahoma governor’s race will see Republican runoff following primaries - ICT
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With no clear winner in the Oklahoma Republican Party’s primary election for governor on Tuesday, Democrat Cyndi Munson will face the winner of the Republican Party’s runoff election on August 25. The winner in November will replace Gov. Kevin Stitt, a controversial figure in state-tribal relations

Kevin Abourezk
ICT

The future of state-tribal relations in Oklahoma – home to 38 tribes and nearly 330,000 Indigenous people – came into sharper focus Tuesday following primary elections in the state.

The election featured a political race to replace Gov. Kevin Stitt, Cherokee, who has had a contentious history with his state’s 38 tribes. Following Tuesday’s primaries, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond will face Stitt’s former budget secretary Mike Mazzei in an August 25 runoff election.

Drummond earned 105,787 votes compared to Mazzei’s 104,629 votes.

In Oklahoma, if no candidate succeeds in winning more than 50 percent of the vote, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes advance to a runoff election. The winner of the Republican runoff will face Oklahoma House Minority leader Cyndi Munson, Democrat, who easily won her party’s nomination, in the November 3 general election.

Tuesday’s primaries also included several other races of interest to Native people, including the fight for the U.S. House of Representatives District 4 seat, which is currently held by Tom Cole, Chickasaw, who was facing a challenge from fellow Republican Marcie Everhart.

Cole is the longest-serving Indigenous congressional member. Cole convincingly sailed past Everhart Tuesday to win the Republican Party’s nomination and will face Democrat Mitchell Jacob, an Army veteran and law school graduate, in the general election.

Another notable race featured N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas, Chickasaw, a Democratic candidate who was vying for a U.S. Senate seat against four other Democratic candidates all seeking their party’s nomination.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Cherokee, vacated the seat in order to serve as U.S. secretary of homeland security under President Donald Trump. Oklahoma energy executive Alan Armstrong currently holds the Senate seat until the November elections but is not seeking the position permanently.

Thomas will face fellow Democrat Jim Priest, an attorney, in a runoff election, both having failed to win 50 percent of the vote on Tuesday. The winner of that runoff will face Kevin Hern, Republican, who currently holds the state’s U.S. House of Representatives District 1 seat and easily won his party’s nomination for the Senate seat being vacated by Mullin on Tuesday against four challengers.

In the race for the U.S. House of Representatives District 2 seat, Josh Brecheen, Choctaw, won the Republican Party’s nomination for the seat, which he currently holds. He’ll face Democratic challenger Brandon Wade, an oil industry union leader who won his party’s nomination on Tuesday.

Gov. Kevin Stitt, pictured Tuesday, vetoed a bill this week that otherwise would have extended the existence of the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education. Stitt said the council is redundant, lacks transparency and meets too rarely. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

Stitt was ineligible to run for reelection as he is serving his final year and last term as governor. Oklahoma has a lifetime limit of two four-year terms for the governor. The outcome of the governor’s race likely will greatly impact the relationship between tribal governments and the state for at least the next four years.

An additional three Independent candidates will automatically head to the general election this November. They are Robert Brooks, Orlando Lynn Bush and Jerry Griffin.

Both Drummond and Mazzei have promised to work with tribal nations and negotiate tribal compacts if elected and both have expressed support for the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, a decision that effectively recognized eastern Oklahoma as a federally recognized Native reservation and that Stitt opposed. Stitt was quoted as saying that the McGirt decision has torn Oklahoma apart and has created two justice systems based on race.

A top issue in Maine and Oklahoma governors’ races? Tribal sovereignty.

Munson also said in a recent press release that her Democratic caucus supports tribes.

Native candidates on the ballot

Native candidates were seeking offices in several other primary races in Oklahoma on Tuesday.

Other Native candidates on Oklahoma’s ballot on Tuesday were:

  • John Pfeiffer, Cherokee, will face fellow Republican candidate Kevin West in a runoff election for state labor commissioner
  • Brad Boles, Cherokee, won the Republican nomination for a seat on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and will face Democrat Rhonda Eastman in November.
  • Chelsey Branham, Chickasaw, won her race to become the Democratic candidate for Oklahoma House of Representatives District 85 and will face Republican Joe Fallin
  • David Hardin, Cherokee, will be the Republican Party’s nominee for Oklahoma House of Representatives District 86 and will face Democrat Hannah Cole
  • Kristina Gabriel, Cherokee, Democrat, won the Oklahoma House of Representatives District 77 seat on Tuesday after the Republican Party failed to nominate a candidate in the race
  • Ronald “Ron” Stewart, Choctaw, Democrat, won the Oklahoma House of Representatives District 73 seat on Tuesday after the Republican Party failed to nominate a candidate in the race

Native candidates in Oklahoma who ran unopposed were:

  • Christopher Wier, Cherokee, a Democratic candidate for Oklahoma House of Representatives District 4 who will face Republican Bob Ed Culver in November

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