With at least five declared candidates jumping into Oklahoma's Republican gubernatorial primary, and more likely to announce, public support for anyone in the flooded field from the state's congressional delegation is hard to find.
Only one U.S. lawmaker from the state has endorsed so far, and none of the other members with whom Oklahoma Watch spoke are planning to weigh in.
"I used to play Oklahoma politics," Rep. Tom Cole, who is not endorsing, said. "I think we've got a lot of good candidates, but I don't tend to be involved. I've got my own race to worry about."
The winner of the primary next year will, in all likelihood, become the next governor. Gov. Kevin Stitt has termed out, meaning the race is wide open.
Rep. Kevin Hern, who sat out a run for governor due to the small Republican majority in the House, said he was not going to get involved in the primary, either. But he's certainly paying attention to the race.
"We've got good candidates there," Hern said. "But with the way the Oklahoma election laws are, as far as being able to raise money, the longer you go, the more you're going to put personal money in."
Because of that, Hern said candidates such as the former speaker of the Oklahoma House Charles McCall and former state Senator Mike Mazzei may fare better due to their ability to self-fund. As for who has the most clout in Washington, Hern said it's probably Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, someone he's known for a long time.
Drummond was the first high-profile Republican to launch a bid for the 2026 race. He's been a lawyer for more than 30 years and has garnered national attention in recent months due to his involvement in Supreme Court cases, including the deadlocked decision that barred the creation of a religious charter school in Oklahoma, and the decision throwing out death row inmate Richard Glossip's conviction.
"I think when you've run statewide, the delegation probably knows you better just because of some things you engaged with, especially as AG," Hern said.
Recent polling of registered Republicans in Oklahoma has Drummond with a 27-point lead over his nearest rival, the superintendent of Oklahoma schools, Ryan Walters, according to the firm CHS and Associates. Though Walters has not announced a run, he has expressed interest in the race and has worked to make a national name for himself.
Rep. Frank Lucas said he didn't know any of the candidates well enough to give insights. And as for endorsements, Lucas isn't planning to give one either.
"I try to avoid it, actually," Lucas said.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin and Rep. Stephanie Bice's offices did not respond to a request for comment on the race.
Some lawmakers aren't completely closed to the prospect of future endorsements.
Sen. James Lankford, who has shut down rumors of his own 2026 gubernatorial campaign, said he personally knew all of the candidates in the running, though he is not planning to endorse in the primary for now. However, he said he suspects the field is not full yet.
"Of course, we're a long way away," Lankford said. "I don't have a reason to engage with that. It's seldom that I engage in a Republican primary."
One lawmaker has made the first, and so far only, endorsement from the Oklahoma delegation. Rep. Josh Brecheen endorsed Mazzei at his campaign launch in early April.
Though it was an early decision, it was made because the two have a strong personal connection. The pair worked together in the Oklahoma Senate, and Brecheen has said he built trust in Mazzei after watching him keep faith while recovering from a car accident several years ago.
"Mike was someone that, when I was in the state Senate, was extremely valuable to not just myself, but to so many of his colleagues because he really knew the math," Brecheen said. "When he spoke, people paid attention. He has a massive amount of tact. He was able to step on people's toes without messing up their shine, and you could trust that when Mike told you something that Mike had done his homework."
Brecheen, a budget hawk and Freedom Caucus member, is fond of Mazzei's fiscal views. In Brecheen's opinion, Mazzei could make Oklahoma a place where companies want to invest and individuals and retirees want to live.
"Mike's plan to get us to a no-income-tax state, among all the candidates, there is no one that has more legitimacy and more credibility to actually bring that to fruition than Mike Mazzei," Brecheen said.
This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS, a publication of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute, and Oklahoma Watch.
Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.
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