Who will run against Drummond for GOP nomination?

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OKLAHOMA CITY — The candidate pool for Oklahoma’s highest executive office is beginning to take shape.

The next Oklahoma gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, and while it’s still early in the cycle, speculation is rising regarding who will challenge state Attorney General Gentner Drummond after he officially announced his candidacy for the office Monday morning.

As for who else might join the race, Oklahoma political experts anticipate the list will include at least two other well-known names in state politics.

Gentner Drummond makes it official

AG Drummond announced his campaign for governor Monday at the Osage County Fairgrounds in Pawhuska.

Drummond has made headlines frequently during his time as AG, largely due to his focus on fighting illegal immigration and marijuana grows. He was sworn in as Oklahoma’s 19th Attorney General on Jan. 9, 2023, unseating then-AG John O’Connor, who Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed after Mike Hunter’s resignation in 2022.

He ran on increasing transparency in government, being tough on crime and improving tribal relations.

The first major endorsement for Drummond comes from the Oklahoma State Fraternal Order of Police. Organization President Mark Nelson said Drummond respects the rule of law and has a track record of supporting cops “for years now,” according to a social media post.

Michael Crespin, professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma, said for Drummond, it’s going to be a race to the runoff, and the AG will look to differentiate himself from the other GOP candidates. He said Drummond’s name recognition bodes well for fundraising.

“(Drummond) has already won statewide office, and his race for AG was pretty tough running against Stitt’s candidate, so he has the experience of running a successful statewide campaign,” Crespin said.

Motivated by faith, Leisa Mitchell Haynes runs for Governor

A lesser-known name who already threw her hat in the ring on the Republican side is Leisa Mitchell Haynes.

The former city manager of Rio Communities, New Mexico said God told her as a third-grade student in Stillwater that she would be a governor, according to her campaign website.

Haynes has been married for 30 years and has three kids ages 27, 25 and 19. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications from East Central University in Ada before earning a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.

Is Ryan Walters the next big name to run for governor?

Oklahoma State Department of Education Superintendent Ryan Walters has been perceived as an official with gubernatorial aspirations since he took office in January 2023.

Does he have the support? Crespin and Bill Shapard, founder of SoonerPoll.com, aren’t so sure.

“Ryan Walters is going to be way on the far right,” Crespin said.

Walters’ name has increasingly circulated on social media after pushing for policies such as bibles and christian curriculum in schools and attacking the Critical Race Theory and DEI. Like the current governor, Walters’ is an advocate for school choice.

Even as a Stitt acolyte, should he decide to run for governor, Walters’ road to victory won’t be easy in what could become a who’s-who of Oklahoma officials in the race.

“Getting support in the Republican primary is going to be a challenge,” Shapard said.

‘Strong possibility’ Charles McCall enters the race

Charles McCall has been asked by the media on several occasions in the last two years if he’s considered a run for governor in 2026.

His response generally included acknowledging his sole focus remained on his duties as Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position he was elected to in 2015. He’s termed out of the legislature, but should he announce his candidacy for governor, he would become one of the highest-profile names.

Shapard said the longest-serving speaker was well liked in the legislature.

“I think (McCall) is definitely a strong possibility,” Shapard said.

A key voter contingent will be rural Oklahoma, which McCall could have on his side as a resident of Atoka, Shapard said.

“That’s where the growth of the Republican Party has been. Any candidate that runs on the Republican side is going to have to do a better job of connecting with those rural Republicans,” Shapard said.

In the 21st century, Shapard said the governor’s race has been less about winning either end of the Turner Turnpike, and more about appealing to those outside of the state’s largest metros.

Chip Keating, a legacy governor?

Former Stitt cabinet member Chip Keating is the son of former Gov. Frank Keating.

Keating served as secretary of public safety under Stitt from 2019 and 2020. He’s owned Keating Investments, a real estate and oil and gas investment company since 2010.

“That’s a legacy name that you just can’t mark off the list,” Shapard said. “I think he represents more of a younger spirit, or a younger generation into politics.”

Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell

Making a run for governor after serving as lieutenant governor seems like a natural progression, but current Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell has given no indication of his plans to run for the governor’s office in 2026.

“The lieutenant governor of any state is always on the short list,” Shapard said.