Oklahoma

Cyndi Munson joins in race for Oklahoma governor: Who’s running so far? What to know

Published

11 months ago

April 15, 2025

Press Room

Cyndi Munson joins in race for Oklahoma governor: Who’s running so far? What to know

The list of candidates for Oklahoma’s next governor is growing as the first Democrat jumped into the race Tuesday.

Democrat and Oklahoma House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson is the latest to announce a bid for the office in an effort to improve life for all Oklahomans. Munson joins four Republicans running for governor: former state Sen. Mike Mazzei, Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former House Speaker Charles McCall and businesswoman Leisa Mitchell Haynes.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s second term ends in January of 2027.

Here’s what you need to know about the candidates and the election for the next governor.

Who’s in the running for Oklahoma’s next governor so far?

So far, five people have announced their candidacy for Oklahoma’s next governor. They are:

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Republican
Former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall, Republican
Choctaw resident and entrepreneur Leisa Mitchell Haynes, Republican
Former State Sen. Mike Mazzei

What to know about Cyndi Munson

Munson, who represents Oklahoma City’s 85th House district, was raised in Lawton. Before going into politics, Munson worked in the nonprofit sector, including for the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma.

Munson became the first Asian-American woman elected to the Oklahoma legislature in 2015, when she beat Republican nominee Chip Carter in a special election for the empty House District 85 seat. She has since won reelection five times.

She graduated from college, the first in her family to do so, with a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Central Oklahoma.

What to know about Gentner Drummond

Drummond was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma and raised east of Hominy on the Drummond Ranch in Osage County.

He has an extensive history in the legal realm, having served as assistant district attorney in Osage and Pawnee Counties and founding his own law firm, Drummond Law, in 1998. Drummond also served as a U.S. Air Force jet pilot during the Persian Gulf War.

Drummond was sworn in as Attorney General of Oklahoma on Jan. 9, 2023.

What to know about Charles McCall

McCall, a Republican and fifth-generation Atoka resident, served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2012 to 2024, serving as Speaker of the House from 2016 on. He was the longest-serving Speaker of the House in Oklahoma.

Outside of politics, McCall is a community banker, which led him to focus on “getting the state’s fiscal house in order,” according to his House biography. He is the CEO and Board Chairman of AmeriState Bank in Atoka, a fourth-generation family bank.

McCall also served as Mayor of Atoka from 2005 to 2012, and previously held tenures as Chairman of the Atoka City Industrial Development Authority, Chairman of the Lake Atoka Reservation Association and Vice Chairman of the McGee Creek Authority. He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Oklahoma, and later completed University of Colorado in Boulder’s Graduate School of Banking.

What to know about Leisa Mitchell Haynes

Haynes was the first to announce her bid for governor, making the official announcement in July of 2024.

The Choctaw resident holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Central Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree in communications from East Central University. She worked for Oklahoma Department of Commerce as the assistant state director from 1989 to 2001, according to LinkedIn, and she has also owned a small business with eight employees, according to her campaign website.

She also has served as a city manager in Mangum and Tuttle and in New Mexico, according to the McCurtain Gazette. Haynes has been married for 30 years and has three children.

What to know about Mike Mazzei

Mazzei, a Republican from Tulsa, served 12 years in the Senate before he was term-limited. While a Senator, Mazzei advocated for tax cuts, pension reform and reducing ineffective tax credits, according to Oklahoma Voice.

Mazzei, a financial planner and the founder and CEO of Trinity Strategic Wealth, also served two years as budget secretary for Gov. Stitt. He also previously ran for Oklahoma treasurer, dropping out of the race in 2021 due to a conflict with his employer.

Mazzei holds a bachelor’s in government and politics from George Mason University and a master’s in personal financial planning from the College for Financial Planning.

When is Oklahoma’s governor election?

Primary elections for the 2026 general election are scheduled for June 16, 2026. The general election is held on Nov. 3, 2026.

When can Oklahoma gubernatorial candidates file for election?

Candidates aren’t official until they file for the election. However, there is not a date set yet for candidate filing.

What are Oklahoma’s governor term limits?

No one can serve as governor for more than eight years, which don’t need to be consecutive, according to the Oklahoma Constitution.

However, if someone serves as governor for less than a full term to fill a vacancy, it is not included in the eight-year term limit.

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Oklahoma

The Spring adds immersive walkthrough to annual Encounter Hope gala in Sand Springs, Oklahoma

Published

2 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

The Spring adds immersive walkthrough to annual Encounter Hope gala in Sand Springs, Oklahoma

TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — A Tulsa-based nonprofit is adding an immersive, walkthrough experience to its annual fundraising gala, aiming to give attendees a closer look at what survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking face — and how support services can help.

The Spring, which provides services to people impacted by domestic violence and human trafficking, will feature the walkthrough as part of Encounter Hope, its annual gala set for April 9 at the Arvest Convention Center.

The experience is designed to guide guests through the story of an abuse survivor across four stages of interaction with The Spring: the inciting incident, the crisis call, time at the emergency crisis shelter, and moving into safety.

“The idea is really to put you in the shoes of the people that we serve every day,” Allison Wells,

The Spring’s events and environments coordinator, said. “It’s easy to throw out stats about violence and trafficking in Oklahoma, throw out our service numbers each year, but these are really peoples’ lives. We want to put our attendees in the mindset of one person, one story. What would you do if you were facing this?”

After the walkthrough, attendees will have the opportunity to assemble move-in kits for The Spring’s shelter guests and write personal notes of encouragement.

The program portion of the evening will include a panel discussion hosted by Karen Larsen, an Emmy Award-winning journalist who anchored Tulsa’s Channel 2 for almost 30 years.

“Tulsa is an incredibly charitable city, and we know that these kinds of gala events aren’t rare here,” Leslie Clingenpeel, The Spring’s CEO, said. “Our goal is to go beyond the model of these fundraising-only type events. More than anything, we want people to understand what we do, to know that we’re here, to know what our frontline advocates are doing every single day. Domestic violence and trafficking are hard to look away from once you’re aware of them. We want to build that awareness to the people of this city.”

Individual tickets and table packages are available for purchase.

Attendees are encouraged to register before April 1 because space is limited.

More details and purchasing information are available at www.thespringok.org/encounterhope.

The Spring is a Tulsa-based nonprofit offering services to those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking.

The organization provides emergency crisis shelter, transitional living, and non-residential services.

More information is available at www.thespringok.org.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next

Published

14 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next

ORLANDO, Fla. –

The Oklahoma State Cowboys men’s basketball bounced back in a big way Tuesday night.

Anthony Roy scored 27 points and Kanye Clary added 23, including seven in overtime, as Oklahoma State defeated the UCF Knights men’s basketball 111-104 in Orlando.

The Cowboys controlled the extra period, finishing overtime on an 11-4 run and outscoring UCF 17-10.

Clary played a major role in closing it out. He hit a key 3-pointer and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in overtime to help seal the win.

The victory moves Oklahoma State to 18-12 overall and 6-11 in the Big 12, and gives the Cowboys two wins in their last three games after snapping a five-game losing streak. UCF, now 20-9 (9-8 Big 12), has dropped two straight.

Roy and Clary led a balanced offensive effort. Jaylen Curry and Christian Coleman each added 16 points, while the Cowboys shot 49% from the field (35-of-72) and 80% from the free throw line (32-of-40).

Themus Fulks led UCF with 22 points, while Riley Kugel added 18.

Late-game drama forces overtime

The final seconds of regulation were chaotic.

With 24 seconds remaining, Isaiah Coleman threw down a dunk to give Oklahoma State a 94-91 lead.

But UCF answered quickly when Chris Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, tying the game at 94-94.

Oklahoma State had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Jaylen Curry missed a shot, and John Bol blocked Roy’s attempt, sending the game to overtime.

Cowboys respond after tough loss

The Cowboys showed resilience after Saturday’s lopsided loss to Cincinnati.

The team traveled directly to Orlando following that defeat and was pushed through two intense practices by head coach Steve Lutz and the coaching staff.

The response was clear.

Led by Roy’s scoring and Clary’s clutch overtime performance, Oklahoma State delivered a gritty win and swept the season series against UCF

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