Oklahoma Governor Runoff Debate Canceled After Mazzei Declines Invitation

Oklahoma Governor Runoff Debate Canceled After Mazzei Declines Invitation

The planned Oklahoma governor runoff debate will no longer take place after Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei declined an invitation to participate in a televised debate co-hosted by NonDoc and KSWO 7News. Mazzei's opponent, current Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, accepted the invitation, setting the stage for a campaign dispute just weeks before the Aug. 25 Republican runoff election. 

The winner of the Republican runoff will advance to the November general election to face Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson in the race to succeed Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is term-limited.

Oklahoma Governor Runoff Debate Called Off After Scheduling Decision

The Oklahoma governor runoff debate was proposed after both candidates publicly indicated during the May 28 Republican gubernatorial primary debate that they would return for a second televised debate if they advanced to a runoff.

According to Hudson Talley, a spokesman for the Mazzei campaign, the former state senator declined the invitation because his campaign did not have enough time during the remaining seven weeks before the runoff election to schedule a second debate in Lawton.

The debate was to be co-hosted by NonDoc and KSWO 7News, the same organizations that partnered to host the May primary debate featuring the Republican gubernatorial candidates. During that event, moderators asked whether the candidates would commit to a runoff debate if needed, and both Drummond and Mazzei indicated they would participate.

With Mazzei declining the invitation, organizers announced the runoff debate will not be held.

Election dates and voter information are available through the Oklahoma State Election Board.

Campaigns Trade Criticism Over Debate Decision

The cancellation of the Oklahoma governor runoff debate quickly became part of the campaign itself.

Drummond's campaign confirmed he would participate in the debate and criticized Mazzei's decision not to appear.

Campaign manager Matt Parker said in a statement that Mazzei was running "a basement campaign straight out of Joe Biden's playbook," adding that Drummond would continue appearing before voters and answering questions publicly.

Mazzei's campaign did not characterize the decision as avoiding a debate. Instead, spokesman Hudson Talley said the campaign simply could not accommodate another debate in its schedule before the Aug. 25 runoff.

Since the May debate, Mazzei has also received endorsements from President Donald Trump and Gov. Kevin Stitt, endorsements his campaign has highlighted as the runoff campaign intensifies.

Republican Voters Will Decide Nominee On Aug. 25

The Oklahoma governor runoff debate would have been one of the final opportunities for Republican voters to compare the candidates in a televised setting before voting.

Instead, both campaigns are expected to spend the coming weeks campaigning through public appearances, advertising, grassroots outreach, and other voter engagement efforts leading up to the Aug. 25 Republican runoff election.

The Republican nominee will face Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson in the November general election to determine Oklahoma's next governor. Political observers expect the governor's race to remain one of the state's highest-profile contests through Election Day.

Additional coverage of the race is available through NonDoc and KSWO 7News.

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