2026 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

2026 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

The 2026 Oklahoma gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of Oklahoma. Incumbent Republican governor Kevin Stitt is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third term in office. Primary elections will be held on June 16, 2026.

Background

2026 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

Oklahoma is a deeply red state. Incumbent Governor Kevin Stitt won re-election by a 13.6% margin in (/wiki/2022Oklahomagubernatorialelection). Democrats have not won any statewide race since (/wiki/2006Oklahomaelections). Primary elections will be held on June 16, 2026.

Republican primary

Campaign

In August 2023, KOSU noted that Attorney General Gentner Drummond had raised significantly more than other statewide elected officials in 2023, fueling rumors of a gubernatorial run. The same month, The Black Wall Street Times reported State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters was preparing for a 2026 gubernatorial campaign. U.S. Representative Kevin Hern was the first major contender to public acknowledge he was considering a campaign in August 2024, but ruled out a run that December after House Republicans won a narrow majority in the 2024 elections. In early January 2025, former state senator Mike Mazzei posted a gubernatorial campaign logo to Facebook.

On January 13, 2025, Drummond announced his campaign for governor. He was the first major candidate to enter the race and the second overall after Leisa Mitchell Haynes. On February 18, former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall officially announced his campaign. Mazzei officially launched his campaign on April 3. In May, former state senator Jake Merrick entered the race followed by businessman Kenneth Sturgell. On October 1, former Governor Frank Keating's son, Chip Keating, entered the race.

Declared

• Gentner Drummond, Oklahoma Attorney General (2023–present) • Chip Keating, former Oklahoma Secretary of Public Safety (2019–2020) and son of former governor Frank Keating • Leisa Mitchell Haynes, former Mangum City Manager • Mike Mazzei, former Oklahoma Secretary of Budget (2019–2020), former state senator from the 25th district (2004–2016), and candidate for state treasurer in (/wiki/2022OklahomaStateTreasurerelection) • Charles McCall, former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2017–2025) from the 22nd district (2013–2024) • Jake Merrick, former state senator from the 22nd district (2021–2022) • Kenneth Sturgell, HVAC business owner

Declined

• G. T. Bynum, former Mayor of Tulsa (2016–2024) • Kevin Hern, U.S. representative from Oklahoma's 1st congressional district (2018–present) (running for U.S. Senate) • James Lankford, U.S. Senator (2015–present) • Matt Pinnell, Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma (2019–present)

Polling

<table><thead><tr><th>Poll source</th><th>Date(s) administered</th><th>Sample size</th><th>Margin of error</th><th>Gentner Drummond</th><th>Chip Keating</th><th>Mike Mazzei</th><th>Jake Merrick</th><th>Charles McCall</th><th>Undecided</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates (R)</td><td>January 26–30, 2026</td><td>600 (LV)</td><td>± 4.3%</td><td>36%</td><td>13%</td><td>13%</td><td>5%</td><td>14%</td><td>19%</td></tr><tr><td>yes. every kid.</td><td>October 29–31, 2025</td><td>513 (LV)</td><td>± 4.3%</td><td>22%</td><td>7%</td><td>2%</td><td>2%</td><td>22%</td><td>44%</td></tr><tr><td>co/efficient (R)</td><td>October 25–27, 2025</td><td>855 (LV)</td><td>± 3.24%</td><td>20%</td><td>5%</td><td>1%</td><td>3%</td><td>31%</td><td>41%</td></tr><tr><td>Stratus Intelligence (R)</td><td>October 15–17, 2025</td><td>806 (LV)</td><td>± 3.5%</td><td>30%</td><td>7%</td><td>1%</td><td>4%</td><td>32%</td><td>19%</td></tr><tr><td>Stratus Intelligence (R)</td><td>September 23–25, 2025</td><td>–</td><td>± 3.5%</td><td>35%</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>33%</td><td>32%</td></tr><tr><td>Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates (R)</td><td>August 4–10, 2025</td><td>400 (LV)</td><td>± 4.3%</td><td>48%</td><td>4%</td><td>2%</td><td>4%</td><td>10%</td><td>33%</td></tr><tr><td>Victory Insights (R)</td><td>February 23–25, 2025</td><td>506 (LV)</td><td>–</td><td>37%</td><td>3%</td><td>1%</td><td>–</td><td>6%</td><td>52%</td></tr><tr><td>Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates (R)</td><td>February 10–15, 2025</td><td>500 (RV)</td><td>± 4.3%</td><td>50%</td><td>7%</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>7%</td><td>37%</td></tr></tbody></table>

Democratic primary

Declared

• Cyndi Munson, minority leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (2022–present) from the 85th district (2015–present) • Arya Azma, securities trader and candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesSenateelectioninOklahoma)

General election

Predictions

<table><thead><tr><th>Source</th><th>Ranking</th><th>As of</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>The Cook Political Report</td><td>Solid R</td><td>September 11, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Inside Elections</td><td>Solid R</td><td>August 28, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Sabato's Crystal Ball</td><td>Safe R</td><td>September 4, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Race to the WH</td><td>Safe R</td><td>February 5, 2026</td></tr></tbody></table>