Oklahoma Governor Race 2026: Mazzei vs. Munson

Mike Mazzei (R) remains the favorite to keep Oklahoma's governorship in Republican hands, where it has been since 2011, but the open race has drawn more attention than expected. The Cook Political Report moved it from Solid to Likely Republican on October 13, after reports of private Democratic polling showing a competitive race, and our consensus rating moved to Very Likely Republican. Mazzei's campaign answered that Republicans win 97.7 percent of races Cook rates Likely Republican.

Mazzei, a financial planner and former state senator who chaired Senate Finance, served as Gov. Kevin Stitt's budget secretary and won the nomination with Trump's endorsement. He would phase out the individual income tax over six years and end property taxes for seniors and veterans, paying for it with a DOGE-style efficiency office and cuts to tax rebates, credits, and exemptions. Cyndi Munson (D), the state House minority leader, is running on public school funding and teacher pay, repealing the private-school tax credit, targeted tax relief instead of broad income tax cuts, a state question to overturn the abortion ban, and a moratorium on new data centers; she argues his plan would leave the state without money for services. In their only scheduled debate, aired October 1, Mazzei defended a Trump-backed aluminum smelter planned for Inola whose tax breaks he had first criticized.

Mazzei has put more than $11 million of his own money into the race, and the Republican Governors Association has spent over $2 million on ads backing him. Jerry Griffin (I), Robert E. Brooks Sr. (I), and Orlando Lynn Bush (I) are also on the ballot.