Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond is facing scrutiny over accusations that he encouraged Democrats to work against voter ID laws during the gubernatorial race.
Drummond is set to compete in a runoff for the Republican nomination against former state Senator Mike Mazzei, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Recently, an audio clip emerged, circulating widely on Monday, that purportedly features Drummond urging participants at the Civil Service Summit, set for August 3, to vote against two state questions on the upcoming ballot.
In the audio, Drummond allegedly states, “We must vote ‘no’ on both state questions. Don’t tell your legislators I said that, alright? Every Democrat, every Libertarian, and every independent needs to show up to the polls. Some of you might be here. Let’s get to the polls! Right? The voting date was chosen for August 25th because typically, only Republicans turn out, and historically, Republicans haven’t been particularly engaged in educational issues.”
The measures will be on the August 25 ballot, and voting will require proof of identification as mandated by state law.
A spokesperson for Drummond’s campaign countered that his comments were taken “out of context,” arguing that the clips were brief, selectively edited, and don’t accurately reflect Drummond’s position. Campaign chairman Matthew Parker stated, “We won’t pretend these snippets seriously represent Gentner Drummond’s views.” He also noted that Drummond was one of Trump’s significant contributors in Oklahoma.
In a statement, Trump reiterated his support for Mazzei.
Recent independent polls indicated a tight race between Drummond and Mazzei, with 14% of voters still undecided, which could sway the outcome.
In another political development, the leader of the Oklahoma Democratic Party was compelled to resign after an attempt to present a fraudulent check to the Ethics Commission.
As far as fundraising goes, Mazzei reportedly raised approximately $946,000 since June 2, while Drummond has raised about $2,928,000 during the same timeframe.
A runoff election will determine the Republican nominee on August 25, with early voting set to commence on Thursday.
