Trump’s Endorsement Shakes Up Oklahoma Governor Race

The contest for Oklahoma governor is taking an intriguing turn after President Donald Trump endorsed Mike Mazzei, a former state senator and budget secretary. A recent survey by JMC Analytics and Polling indicates this endorsement is giving Mazzei a significant boost among likely Republican primary voters with only 12 days until the election. In previous polls this year, Mazzei seldom led the race.

According to the findings, Mazzei garners 24% of the hypothetical vote. Attorney General Gentner Drummond follows with 20%. Other notable figures include former State Senator Jake Merrick with 12%, ex-Secretary of Public Safety Chip Keating with 10%, and past Speaker of the House Charles McCall with 7%. A quarter of the respondents remain undecided, and a few other candidates scored below 3%.

Mazzei and Drummond are statistically neck and neck, as reflected in the poll’s margin of error. In a Newsweek interview, Mazzei shared, “We earned Donald Trump’s endorsement due to our shared conservative policy goals. Both President Trump and I aim to reduce taxes, combat government fraud and waste, and foster an economy that benefits everyone.”

Mazzei emphasized Oklahoma’s strong conservative leaning, pointing out the poll was conducted shortly after Trump’s endorsement. He expressed confidence that his support will grow. Drummond’s team was contacted by Newsweek for comment.

Understanding Voter Preferences

The survey queried undecided voters about their leanings. Eleven percent favored Mazzei, 6% leaned toward Keating, 5% preferred Drummond, while 3% supported Merrick or McCall. Despite these figures, a striking 68% remain undecided.

This poll was conducted from June 2 to June 3, involving 550 likely Republican primary voters, with a margin of error at 4.18%. Recent primaries have shown that Trump’s endorsements often favor his candidates, yet not without exceptions.

In a recent loss, his endorsed candidate Representative Randy Feenstra withdrew from the race for Iowa governor. Trump’s endorsement tends to rally voters who favor candidates aligned with his views.

Key Issues and Trump’s Support

Voter concerns focused primarily on inflation and the cost of living, cited by 30%, and border security and illegal immigration, mentioned by 23%. Trump’s endorsement of Mazzei highlighted a commitment to America’s economic and security ideals, emphasizing policies aimed at economic growth, job creation, tax and regulation cuts, and bolstering American industries.

Additional support includes maintaining secure borders, crime prevention, law enforcement, military and veterans’ support, and protecting Second Amendment rights.

Insights from Other Polls

A poll by NonDoc, conducted between May 21 and May 25, showed Mazzei with 22.1%, Drummond at 21.66%, and Keating at 21.44%. McCall achieved double digits with 18.38%. This survey sampled 457 Oklahoma Republicans, with a 4.6% margin of error, as reported by News9.

An earlier poll from Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates placed Drummond in the lead with 36%, while McCall scored 14%, and both Keating and Mazzei garnered 13%, leaving Merrick with 5%. Conducted from January 26 to January 30, it surveyed 600 Republican primary voters in Oklahoma.

Another survey from co/efficient in October indicated McCall leading with 31%, Drummond at 20%, Keating with 5%, Merrick at 3%, Mazzei at 1%, other candidates at 3%, and 38% undecided.