TULSA — Attorney General Gentner Drummond narrowly finished ahead of former state Sen. Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial primary, sending the two candidates into an Aug. 25 runoff after one of the state’s most crowded governor’s races in recent memory.

According to unofficial results from the Oklahoma State Election Board, Drummond received 105,787 votes, or 26.26%, while Mazzei received 104,629 votes, or 25.97%. No candidate received more than 50% of the vote needed to avoid a runoff.

Former Secretary of Public Safety Chip Keating finished third with 18.45% of the vote, followed by former state Sen. Jake Merrick with 14.47% and former House Speaker Charles McCall with 11.79%.

With Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt term-limited, the runoff winner will face Democrat Cyndi Munson and independent candidates in November.

The runoff is likely to be decided by voters who supported other Republican candidates, particularly Keating, Merrick and McCall, who together accounted for nearly 45% of Republican primary ballots. Neither Merrick nor McCall immediately endorsed a runoff candidate after the primary.

McCall thanked his supporters in a statement and urged them to stay engaged.

“Though this chapter is ending, our commitment to Oklahoma and the principles we share does not end tonight,” McCall said.

Merrick also pointed to the voters his campaign brought into the race.

“Many voted who swore they would never vote again because they saw a glimmer of hope they hadn’t seen in a while,” Merrick wrote in a Facebook post. “I honestly believe this fight is just beginning.”

Speaking to supporters at a Tulsa VFW post, Drummond framed the runoff as a test of trust and leadership after a crowded and expensive Republican primary.

“Tonight, Oklahoma Republicans have sent a clear message,” Drummond said. “They said leadership matters. They said results matter.”

Drummond framed the runoff as a contrast between his record and Mazzei’s political ambitions.

“The runoff is about a choice between results and rhetoric. Between conviction and convenience. Between proven leadership and political ambition,” Drummond said. “Oklahoma cannot afford another weak politician like Mike Mazzei.”

In a brief interview after his speech, Drummond said President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Mazzei was “disheartening,” but argued the results showed it was not enough to end the race.

“Oklahomans understand the difference between a political pay-for-play versus a leader,” Drummond said.

Drummond said winning the runoff will require expanding his support beyond the voters who backed him Tuesday.

“Now the mission is to convince Keating and Merrick and McCall supporters to come over,” Drummond said. “It’s a brand new race.”

At Mazzei’s watch party just a few miles away in Bixby, the former state senator also looked ahead to the runoff, thanking supporters and inviting Republicans who backed other candidates to join his campaign.

“For all of you supporting those gentlemen, there is a home for you with the Mazzei team,” Mazzei said.

Mazzei told reporters he “felt great” and expressed gratitude for volunteers and supporters across the state. He said many political observers doubted his campaign when he entered the race.

“Eighteen months ago when we started this adventure, no one thought this was possible,” Mazzei said. “The political insiders said we had no chance; we started at zero.”

Mazzei, who spent $11 million of his own money to fund his campaign, also credited Trump’s endorsement, which he received late in the campaign, as a major boost heading into the final stretch of the primary.

“We’re just so grateful and honored to have the endorsement of President Donald Trump to be Oklahoma’s next governor,” Mazzei said. “Mazzei Plan and the Trump agenda align so well in terms of values and goals that it’s just a super privilege to have his endorsement.”

Mazzei also criticized Drummond during his remarks, drawing applause from supporters.

“Mr. Drummond wants higher taxes, bigger government, and a state that does not stand with Christians or for freedom,” Mazzei said. “Gentner Drummond should be running in the Democrat primary. Not the Republican one.”

The Aug. 25 runoff gives both candidates two months to build support beyond the voters who carried them through the primary election.

With nearly half of Republican primary voters choosing someone else, the race now turns to which campaign can win over conservatives who backed Keating, Merrick, McCall and a half dozen other eliminated candidates.

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.