Oklahoma Republican gubernatorial runoff features tax and ideological clashes

The Republican primary for the governorship of Oklahoma has moved to a runoff between Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state senator Mike Mazzei.

Mazzei has proposed a plan to accelerate the elimination of the state income tax, aiming to reduce the rate from 4.5% to 3% in his first year. His goal is to make Oklahoma a no-income-tax state within six years by simplifying the tax code and expanding the sales tax to maintain revenue neutrality. Mazzei argued that the lack of income tax in states like Texas and Tennessee has contributed to their superior economic growth.

During a candidate forum in Tulsa, Drummond criticized certain “extreme” members of the Republican Party, labeling them “fascist” and stating they do not represent real Republicans. Drummond also noted his willingness to break with figures like Governor Kevin Stitt and Donald Trump on specific legal and policy issues. In response, the Mazzei campaign criticized Drummond’s past political donations to Democrats and Joe Biden, characterizing him as a “liberal trial lawyer.”