Trump-endorsed former Oklahoma state Sen.Mike Mazzei, R-Bixby, and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond advanced to the August 25 runoff in the Sooner State's Republican gubernatorial primary, defeating a slew of other candidates vying to replace term-limited Gov.
Kevin Stitt.Stitt — recently the top Republican at the National Governors Association — was term limited.Trump called Mazzei a "MAGA warrior" who "will never let you down," throwing the already crowded contest into further uncertainty.Until that point, Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Mazzei were locked in a tight race with businessman Chip Keating and former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Tishomingo.THE BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWNS THIS MONTH THAT YOU NEED TO WATCHPresident Donald Trump wrote that both Florida House seats were won decisively by the Republican candidate, stating the Trump endorsement proved more influential than Democratic opposition.Trump noted he "won big" in Oklahoma — which, along with West Virginia, is one of only two states with no blue counties in election results.Mazzei is running on top issues, including eliminating state property taxes, protecting state lands from foreign purchasers, increasing the state’s literacy rate, and cutting waste and abuse from government.In the latter regard, Stitt appointed Mazzei as his state budget director for part of his term.Some critics targeted Mazzei for hiring former Nixon campaign figure and Trump ally Roger Stone as a political consultant during his campaign.Stone, one of the most prolific conservative consultants of the 20th century, famously had his Fort Lauderdale home raided in the middle of the night by the FBI while CNN was waiting and filming, sparking national uproar."Roger Stone is one of many political advisers and teammates that we have going back months and months and months," Mazzei told Oklahoma City’s ABC affiliate.RELIGIOUS LIBERTY OR GOVERNMENT OVERREACH? OKLAHOMA AG FIGHTS OWN PARTY IN SCOTUS BATTLE...