Mike Mazzei Drug Test Fuels Oklahoma Governor Runoff Dispute

Mike Mazzei Drug Test Becomes Latest Flashpoint In Oklahoma Governor Runoff

The Mike Mazzei drug test is now a major issue in Oklahoma's Republican race for governor after Mazzei released negative test results Monday, prompting rival Gentner Drummond to challenge the type of screening his opponent chose.

Mazzei's urine test showed negative results for approximately a dozen substances, including oxycodone. The release comes one week before the two candidates face Republican voters in the Aug. 25 primary runoff to determine the party's nominee for governor.

Mike Mazzei Drug Test Shows Negative Results

Mazzei took the urine test Thursday after facing growing pressure to release health information and undergo drug screening.

His campaign said the test was the same standard type of drug screening used by organizations including the NCAA and NFL and rejected suggestions that Mazzei was attempting to conceal drug use.

The dispute follows a gubernatorial debate where both candidates were asked whether they would release medical and financial records. Drummond subsequently released results from a hair drug test and publicly challenged Mazzei to undergo testing.

The timing puts the dispute directly into the closing days of the campaign. The Oklahoma State Election Board has the runoff primary election scheduled for Aug. 25, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Campaigns Clash Over Different Types Of Testing

The central argument between the campaigns is whether Mazzei's urine test and Drummond's hair test provide voters with comparable information.

Drug-testing expert Joseph Reilly, president of National Drug Screening, said urine testing generally detects more recent drug use, while hair testing provides a significantly longer look at potential substance use.

That distinction is also outlined in clinical drug-testing guidance from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which shows that detection windows vary significantly depending on the specimen being tested, the substance and other factors. Hair generally provides a longer detection window than urine.

Drummond's campaign accused Mazzei of deliberately choosing a test with a shorter detection window. Mazzei's campaign countered that its candidate passed the test and accused Drummond of continuing an attack despite the negative result.

Health And Financial Records Draw Attention

Both candidates have also released letters from their physicians as questions about their health become an unusual issue in the final stretch of the campaign.

Drummond, 62, released a physician's letter stating he is healthy enough to serve. Mazzei, 61, released his own letter Monday stating he is in very good overall health and has no medical condition preventing him from performing the responsibilities of office.

Mazzei has previously discussed injuries from a 2008 automobile accident that caused back and nerve damage. He has said he is no longer taking medication related to those injuries.

The Oklahoma State Election Board's candidate qualifications outline the constitutional eligibility requirements for governor, including age, citizenship and Oklahoma voter residency requirements.  Neither medical records nor drug testing are listed among those constitutional qualifications.

Neither candidate had released the financial records they previously agreed to make public as of Monday.

The testing dispute now becomes another dividing line between Mazzei and Drummond as Republican voters prepare to choose their gubernatorial nominee.

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