President Donald Trump endorsed former Oklahoma state senator Mike Mazzei on Friday, May 30, stepping into one of the state’s first competitive Republican gubernatorial primaries in years ahead of the June 16 election.
“Mike Mazzei has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Governor of Oklahoma — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote on social media.
Mazzei is running to replace Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is finishing his second term and cannot seek another. The endorsement came as part of a broader Friday sweep — Trump also backed South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra in the same round of social media posts.
The primary field
Mazzei isn’t alone on the June 16 ballot. He’s competing against state Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former state House Speaker Charles McCall and former state public safety secretary Chip Keating — a crowded field that had been locked in a quiet war for Trump’s backing before Friday’s announcement.
Trump’s nod carries real weight in Oklahoma, a state that helped return him to the White House in 2024. Whether it breaks the race open or simply tightens an already close contest won’t be clear until votes are counted.
The Oklahoma contest mirrors what’s happening in Iowa and South Carolina – Trump allies squared off against each other, each angling for the president’s blessing. Iowa’s primary is Tuesday, June 3. South Carolina’s follows on June 9.
None of the other Oklahoma candidates had immediately responded publicly to Trump’s endorsement, according to Politico, which first reported the news Friday afternoon.
Reporting by Politico. Read the original report.
