OK County DA Runoff: former OKC Mayor Mick Cornett endorses Calvey

MICK CORNETT ENDORSES CALVEY FOR D.A.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (July 17, 2022) – Former Oklahoma City mayor, Mick Cornett, has officially endorsed Kevin Calvey in the primary runoff election for Oklahoma County District Attorney. Calvey faces a runoff election after garnering 49.97% of the four-candidate primary vote. 

"Kevin Calvey has proven he has the integrity, grit, and competence to be a great District Attorney. I hope you'll join me in supporting him,” Mick Cornett announced. 

Cornett endorses Stitt in Governor's race

Mick Cornett Endorses Kevin Stitt

Cornett Releases statement on Governor’s Race

OKLAHOMA CITY – Former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett released the following statement in support of Kevin Stitt in his race for governor:

“My campaign for governor was about holding high expectations for Oklahoma to succeed, improving our education system, and expanding opportunity for all. To accomplish this, we need strong, trustworthy leadership to unify our state and get our fiscal house in order. I believe Kevin Stitt is the right candidate to move Oklahoma forward, to raise the standards on education and health, and to demand better outcomes from our state government. Please join me in voting for Kevin Stitt on Nov. 6.”

Election Results Maps: GOP Gubernatorial runoff

This Election Results Map post looks at the GOP runoff for Governor. Previously, I posted the maps for the GOP State Auditor, Attorney General, Corporation Commission, Labor Commissioner, Lieutenant Governor, and State Superintendent runoffs, as well as the Libertarian gubernatorial runoff.

Kevin Stitt absolutely swamped Mick Cornett in the eastern half of the state, topping 70% in Okmulgee, Haskell, Latimer, Pushmataha, Atoka, and Choctaw counties, as well as Cimarron County in the Panhandle. He won Tulsa County by 22.3%, and won most of the rest of the Tulsa metro by over 25%.

Mick Cornett won Oklahoma County by 15.55% and Payne County by 10.7%; the remaining seven counties that he won were by an average of 4.93%.

Overall, Cornett won his nine counties by an average of 6.75%, while Stitt won his 68 counties by an average of 24.2%. Where Stitt won, it tended to be a landslide.

In the primary, Cornett won 24 counties to Stitt's 13; third-place candidate Todd Lamb won 39 counties. In the runoff, Stitt carried all but one of Lamb's counties, and flipped 16 counties that Cornett had won, in addition to winning the one county that went to Dan Fisher.

In the runoff, Stitt won 68 counties to Cornett's 9.

Runoff election results recap

The runoff election was held on Tuesday, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and post about the results. There were some shockers, some nail-biters, and some expected results from the voting. Let's get right into it.

Governor: Republican Kevin Stitt defeated Mick Cornett by nine points, 54.56% to 45.44%, winning all but nine counties (OKC metro and some north-central counties). Libertarian Chris Powell defeated Rex Lawhorn 59.07% to 40.93%. The two nominess will now face Democrat Drew Edmondson in the general election.

Lieutenant Governor: Republican Matt Pinnell happily surprised me by handily defeating Dana Murphy 58.14% to 41.86%. Pinnell garnered the highest percentage and most votes of any candidate on the ballot Tuesday, winning 70 of 77 counties. Murphy lost both major metros, which she won in the primary, only pulling ahead in seven north-western counties. He faces Democrat Anastasia Pittman and Independent Ivan Holmes in the November election.

State Auditor: Despite being massively outspent, Republican Cindy Byrd edged out Charlie Prater for a 951-vote victory. It was back and forth all night until the final 50 precincts reported their numbers. Byrd received 50.17% to Prater's 49.83%. Byrd will face Libertarian John Yeutter in the general (no Democrat filed).

Attorney General: Republican Mike Hunter squeaked through the runoff on the edge of a knife, defeating Gentner Drummond by a mere 269 votes out of 296,000 cast. At 50.05% to 49.95%, this was the closest statewide race in quite some time. He will face Democrat Mark Myles in November.

State Superintendent: Republican Joy Hofmeister beat challenger Linda Murphy 56.68% to 43.32%. She will face Democrat John Cox and Independent Larry Huff in the general.

Labor Commissioner: AFL-CIO-backed Republican Leslie Osborn pulled out a victory over Cathy Costello, 52.35% to 47.65%. She will face Democrat Fred Dorrell and Independent Brandt Dismukes in November.

Corporation Commissioner: Republican Bob Anthony emerged victorious once again, beating Brian Bingman 53.61% to 46.39%.  He will face Democrat Ashley McCray and Independent Jackie Short in the general election.

1st Congressional District: Republican Kevin Hern defeated Tim Harris 54.92% to 45.08%. Democrat Tim Gilpin beat Amanda Douglas 59.38% to 40.62%. The two will face off in November.

2nd Congressional District: Democrat Jason Nichols beat Clay Padgett 56.84% to 43.16%. He will face Republican Congressman Markwayne Mullin, Libertarian Richard Castaldo, and Independent John Foreman in the general election.

4th Congressional District: Democrat Mary Brannon defeated Fred Gipson 57.51% to 42.49%. She will face Republican Congressman Tom Cole and Independent Ruby Peters in November.

5th Congressional District: Democrat Kendra Horn crushed Tom Guild 75.8% to 24.2%. She will face Republican Congressman Steve Russell in the general election.

I'll address legislative runoffs in more detail in a later post, but of the 10 Republican incumbents who were in a runoff, six conservatives, one conservative defeated his challenger (and has no general election opponent), and all three moderates won.

If you want to dig through the election results on your own, here are the results for the entire state, and here are the results by county.

Trump calls Kevin Stitt, tweets endorsement

After clinching the Republican nomination for Governor with a 9-point victory over Mick Cornett, Kevin Stitt has now received the public endorsement of President Donald Trump.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP ENDORSES KEVIN STITT FOR GOVERNOR OF OKLAHOMA

Tulsa, Okla. (Aug. 30, 2018) – Following a phone call from the President Donald J. Trump, Kevin Stitt, the Republican candidate for Governor of Oklahoma, welcomed today the President’s official endorsement:

Kevin Stitt ran a great winning campaign against a very tough opponent in Oklahoma. Kevin is a very successful businessman who will be a fantastic Governor. He is strong on Crime & Borders, the 2nd Amendment, & loves our Military & Vets. He has my complete and total Endorsement!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2018

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of President Trump,” said Kevin Stitt. “I am ready to work with President Trump to support our veterans, advance our military bases here in Oklahoma, and make much-needed investments in our state’s roads and bridges.”

OCPAC, Meadows, Blair urge Fisher voters to support Stitt

In the latest email from the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, three prominent members in the organization called for conservatives of all stripes, but supporters of Dan Fisher in particular, to vote for Kevin Stitt in the gubernatorial runoff.

New OCPAC President Bob Linn, former president Charlie Meadows, and Pastor Paul Blair all wrote in support of Stitt. Their comments are posted below:

NOTE TO OKLAHOMA ACTIVISTS, Bob Linn (OCPAC President)

The state of the Church is a matter of concern and requires our continued prayer and involvement.  A weak Church does not, however, relieve us of the very responsibilities we have been urging God’s people to assume for more than a year now.  I write this today to respond to a group of “Christian activists” who have indicated they will be inactive this Tuesday when the opportunity to vote for Kevin Stitt presents itself.  Yet, Governor Stitt represents the conservative political leadership that will mean our best chance for an open door at the very top of Oklahoma government.  OCPAC and Oklahoma’s other conservative groups will never have the ear of Mick Cornett.  We have that possibility with Kevin Stitt.  I urge all our readers and the 36,000 Dan Fisher voters to help place a potential friend in the Governor’s seat on Tuesday!

Pastor Paul Blair's Take on the Republican Runoff Election

In 2016, I decided to support Ted Cruz for President.  While none of the candidates checked every box, he was the one with whom I was most comfortable.  As we know, Donald Trump won the nomination.  In the general election, I crossed my fingers and voted against Hillary and voted for Trump.  Although there are days I shake my head, by and large, I have been pleased with the majority of President Trump's decisions.

In 2018, I was a strong supporter of my dear friend Dan Fisher.  Dan was a known commodity.  We knew exactly what we'd get with Dan.  Unfortunately, money matters in campaigns and we didn't have the money to gain the necessary name ID for Dan to win.

So here we are.  Either Drew Edmondson, Mick Cornett or Kevin Stitt will be our next Governor.

I cannot support Edmondson.  He is honest in his campaign, but he honestly supports things I don't - higher taxes, government control,  abortion on demand, LGBT agenda, etc.

I like Mick personally.  I remember his days as a sportscaster.  However, Mick was wrong in leading OKC in creating a special "protected class" for LGBT personnel.  LGBT is not a race or gender; it is behavior that the Bible classifies as sinful.  He intentionally betrayed Oklahomans who still believe the Bible is God's Word.  At best, Mick is a moderate Republican along the lines of a John Kasich.

Much like Trump, Kevin Stitt is an unknown.  However, I have had the opportunity to visit with him on several occasions since the primary and two things impress me.  1) He is a successful businessman who understands a balance sheet and demands accountability.  That is something we must have as our current state government is a circus.  2)  He recognizes areas in which he does not have great depth and needs help.   A good leader doesn't have to have all the answers, but must surround himself with counselors that are experts in their fields and do have the answers.

I am hopeful that Governor Stitt will surround himself with "our people" - small government, freedom loving, abortion hating, state sovereignty minded counselors.  If we support him and he trusts us, we will have that opportunity.  If we attack him and alienate him, why would he trust us?

Is Stitt a sure thing?  Nope.  But consider all the "sure things" who conned OCPAC during the interview process and currently hold office at 23rd and Lincoln.  The only sure things for Governor had the last names of Brogdon and Fisher, but I know what we'll get with Edmondson or Cornett.

I will be voting for Kevin Stitt for Governor.  Mary turned out to be Oklahoma's biggest disappointment.  I am hopeful that Stitt will be Oklahoma's most pleasant surprise. 

Charlie Meadows in North Pole, Alaska   

This in from North Pole, Alaska:  Charlie says, “If you don’t vote for Kevin Stitt this Tuesday, Santa Clause will not visit your house this Christmas!”

Charlie filled in at North Pole’s Santa’s House for a few minutes on Saturday where he also made himself available for political commentary.  Unconfirmed rumors have been overheard that he actually granted the youngest of Kevin Stitt’s six children their Christmas wish that daddy would be our next governor!

Charlie continued to say, “In all seriousness, it is time for us to vote for the better of the two Republicans.  That is clearly Kevin Stitt.  We know who Mick Cornett is.  He has a track record.  He is not a conservative.  Kevin’s core values are conservative.  We have a much better chance of him governing according to the principles of good government.  Members of OCPAC and other grass roots conservatives have a far better opportunity to share conservative values with Kevin Stitt than we do with Mick Cornett.  Mick Cornett is squarely in the lap of 'the tall building crowd' and will govern according to their wishes.

To refuse to vote for anyone who does not carry the Fisher banner to abolish abortion and re-establish state sovereignty sounds very principled.  Dan did an excellent job of articulating with clarity the importance of these twin issues.  However, last June 26, 92% of all Republicans chose a candidate with a different message.  To force Stitt to commit to the Fisher message would only guarantee his defeat.  Stitt has said nothing, that I am aware of, which would keep him from supporting either of these lofty goals sometime in the future.  We need to help him, as only a Stitt victory will give us a governor who is not committed to establishment funding."

Kevin Stitt for Governor

Kevin Stitt was not my top choice for Governor in the primary. Quite frankly, there were several GOP candidates I had in front of him. However, Stitt surged from obscurity into the runoff with Mick Cornett.

I will be voting for Kevin Stitt without reservation.

As I said back in June, Mick Cornett was the only Republican candidate that I absolutely could not vote for. He was - and is - the clear liberal in the race, even supported by a Super PAC funded by a Hilary Clinton bundler. Richard Engle penned a great column on the evidence of Cornett's liberal leanings. Cornett would be Mary Fallin 2.0, or worse. I will never vote for Mick Cornett under any circumstance.

Cornett has merely solidified my resolve in the runoff.

The vulgar and crude direction his campaign has taken speaks ill of the character of the candidate. There is no excuse for stooping to the lows that he and his campaign have taken. No amount of "it's just politics", "that's just how this is done", or attempts to shrug it off will do. It reflects back on the integrity of Mick Cornett, and I find him to weighed in the balance and found wanting.

Kevin Stitt is a businessman who has had tremendous success in building a company during trying economic times. As his company has grown, and with the arena they operate in, there have been some issues [relatively minor in the scheme of things], but he has taken responsibility and made corrections when needed. That personal responsibility could not be said for Mick Cornett and his campaign direction.

Stitt has made government transparency and accountability a major theme of his campaign, something that Mary Fallin failed to do in her eight years. I believe this is incredibly important moving forward, especially as tax collections increase and state government clamors over how to spend the new surpluses we will likely have over the next few years.

On the important issues of life, constitutional freedoms, and religious liberties, Kevin Stitt will be much more reliable than Mick Cornett, who has failed to prove during his tenure in municipal government that he would defend those principles.

During the primary, Kevin Stitt took the time to answer my gubernatorial candidate survey, which went into depth on ten different widely ranging topics. You can read that here. Mick Cornett failed to respond - the only candidate unwilling to go on record (a common thread during his campaign).

In recent days, Stitt has been endorsed by former U.S. Senator and conservative stalwart Tom Coburn, 2016 Oklahoma presidential winner Ted Cruz, and 2012 Oklahoma presidential primary winner Rick Santorum.

A Mick Cornett administration would likely be a repeat of the Fallin years, with an increasingly liberal GOP legislature growing government and raising taxes. Under Kevin Stitt, I believe we would have a Governor who is willing to hold the line and rein in government.

On Tuesday, I will be casting my vote for the only conservative choice for Governor, Kevin Stitt.

Pre-Runoff Finance Reports: Governor's race

The final campaign finance reports (pre-runoff) before the August 28th primary have been submitted and posted on the Oklahoma Ethics Commission website. We'll look at the gubernatorial race in this post. All figures below are campaign-to-date, and may include in-kind contributions or expenditures.

The money in the GOP primary/runoff is mindblowing... far and away the most expensive race in Oklahoma history before the GOP nominee has even been decided.

REPUBLICANS

Total Raised: $15,226,168.48

Total Spent: $14,215,428.94

Total Cash-on-Hand: $727,082.99
Burn rate: 95.13%

Kevin Stitt

Total raised: $6,542,863.91 (includes $3,281,000 in loans)

Total spent: $6,018,662.13

Total cash-on-hand: $368,557.72
Burn rate: 94.23%

Mick Cornett
Total raised: $3,242,795.74
Total spent: $2,826,305.70
Total cash-on-hand: $336,691.50
Burn rate: 89.36%

Todd Lamb
Total raised: $3,715,470.61
Total spent: $3,669,760.27
Total cash-on-hand: $13,636.80

Gary Richardson
Total raised: $1,253,448.92 (includes $1,002,575.37 loan)
Total spent: $1,247,700.14
Total cash-on-hand: $0

Dan Fisher
Total raised: $341,220.81 (includes $20,000 loan)
Total spent: $325,561.73
Total cash-on-hand: $7,834.99

Gary Jones

Total raised: $113,080.48 (includes $16,000 loan)

Total spent: $111,331.07

Total cash-on-hand: $455.88

DEMOCRATS

Total Raised: $2,101,942.86

Total Spent: $1,386,655.37

Total Cash-on-Hand: $703,890.82
Burn rate: 66.33%

Drew Edmondson
Total raised: $2,032,248.62 (includes $60,000 loan)
Total spent: $1,318,163.77
Total cash-on-hand: $703,004.68
Burn rate: 65.22%

Connie Johnson

Total raised: $69,694.24

Total spent: $68,491.60

Total cash-on-hand: $886.14

LIBERTARIANS

Total Raised: $32,535.90 (~$9,600 in-kind)

Total Spent: $20,612.02

Total Cash-on-Hand: $2,280.64
Burn rate: 90.04

Chris Powell

Total raised: $10,142.88 (including $1,200 loan)

Total spent: $6,991.02

Total cash-on-hand: $3,017.51
Burn rate: 69.85%

Rex Lawhorn
Total raised: $4,575.00
Total spent: $5,286.87
Total cash-on-hand: $-736.87
Burn rate: 116.19%

Joseph Maldonado

Total raised: $17,818.02 (~$9,500 in-kind)

Total spent: $8,334.13

Total cash-on-hand: $0

Coburn endorses Stitt for Governor, responds to Cornett attacks

U.S. SENATOR TOM COBURN ENDORSES KEVIN STITT FOR GOVERNOR

Tulsa, Oklahoma (August 21, 2018) – Former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn today announced his endorsement of Kevin Stitt for Governor of Oklahoma.

“The negative political ads by Mick Cornett and his base are distasteful and a misrepresentation of Kevin Stitt and his business,” said Sen. Tom Coburn. “As a U.S. Senator during the subprime mortgage crisis, I can attest first hand that if these fees and fines from many years ago were truly egregious, Kevin Stitt would not be in business today. Furthermore, the accusations that Kevin Stitt took bailout money is a gross misrepresentation of the TARP program. Kevin’s company is not a financial institution that could have accepted the bailout money meant to support failing banks. By law, the federal government required mortgage companies to participate in an underlying program to prevent foreclosures, and Gateway followed the letter of the law.”

Coburn continued, “While Kevin and I have not always seen eye-to-eye on policy decisions during this election season, I have appreciated his eagerness to listen and apply conservative principles in his decision-making process. Kevin is committed to delivering accountability and transparency to state government, and he is the fresh, new leadership our state Republican party needs. Kevin Stitt is driven by his faith and I applaud his willingness to leave the private sector for a season to serve our state. I urge Oklahomans to join me in electing the only conservative outsider in this race, Kevin Stitt.”

“I appreciate Senator Tom Coburn’s support for our campaign,” Stitt said. “Sen. Coburn and I agree that Oklahoma needs to be delivering core public services effectively and efficiently, and this starts by demanding accountability and transparency in state government. We have a bright future on our horizon with Oklahoma’s economy recovering and growth in state revenue. Now is the time to take the bull by the horns to diversify our job market, root out waste in government, and ensure stability in funding core services for the next generation.”

Cornett sets record for runoff fundraising

Cornett Sets Record For Runoff Fundraising

With nearly $1.3 million raised, Cornett seizes momentum

OKLAHOMA CITY– Mick Cornett’s campaign for Governor announced Monday they have raised $1,295,797.97 during the Republican gubernatorial runoff election, a record for contributions received during any Oklahoma runoff election. The announced total excludes in-kind contributions.

“For the last 14 months, I have been overwhelmed by the support our campaign has received from across the state,” Cornett said. “Fundraising is a key component for running a strong campaign, and we are in great position to win. We are proud of our supporters at every level, whether they are volunteers, interns, contributors or simply showing their neighbors they support us with a yard sign.”

Stitt responds to Cornett's crude attack ad

Stitt for Governor Campaign Launches New Ad: “Plan B”

Tulsa, Oklahoma (August 15, 2018) -- The Kevin Stitt for Governor Campaign announced a new TV ad today in the Republican runoff for governor of Oklahoma titled “Plan B” and themed on Kevin Stitt’s vision of moving Oklahoma forward and becoming a Top Ten state. 

The television ad opens with Stitt addressing the recent negative attacks.

“My opponent’s running behind, so he’s gone to plan ‘B’-- running attack ads,” begins Kevin Stitt. “I guess if you’re a career politician, when all else fails, you go negative. Kind of says more about him than me, don’t you think?”



Stitt then shares his positive vision for Oklahoma and how he intends to leads as a conservative political outsider.

“Look I’m not a politician, but I am a pro-life, conservative outsider,” says Stitt. “My message is about moving Oklahoma forward, to becoming a place where other states point to and say ‘this is what’s possible.’ I’ve said it all along, and I’ll say it again: Oklahoma’s turnaround, it starts right here, right now.”

After falling 10 points behind in the race, Mick Cornett and his base went negative on August 10. In response, Stitt called for a clean race that focuses on each candidate’s vision for the future of Oklahoma. Cornett’s campaign responded by doubling down and furthering their misinformation campaign. You can watch Kevin Stitt’s original press conference here: www.facebook.com/NEWS9/videos/10155532291327212/.

You can also find a fact check on the claims made against the Stitt for Governor Campaign at: www.stittforgovernor.com/factcheck/.

Kevin Stitt is running on a vision of leading Oklahoma to become a Top Ten state in education, economic growth, and infrastructure. Stitt believes the first step towards accomplishing these goals it by delivering accountability and transparency in state government, and his plan can be read at www.OKTurnaround.com.

Cornett goes crude in attack ad on Stitt

GOP gubernatorial candidate Mick Cornett has gone borderline profane in his latest attack ad on fellow GOP candidate Kevin Stitt, transforming his opponent's name into a double entendre for profanity.

As if I didn't need any more reason on why to NOT vote for Mick Cornett. This sort of campaigning is absolutely shameful, and I hope the Cornett campaign crashes and burns like the Hindenburg.



There's a proper way to respond to attacks by one's opponent (Stitt is attacking Cornett on immigration and other issues), and there's a wrong way. Cornett chose the wrong way.

I don't find this type of junk to be "cute" or "funny", not one bit.

Poll: Stitt leads by 10%; other primary leaders ahead in their races

The Remington Research Group has released an extensive new poll on all of the GOP runoff races.

Remington Research Group GOP Runoff Poll (link)  1,757 likely Republican runoff voters, conducted August 1st and 2nd.
Overall MoE +/- 2.3%. 

Governor:

• Kevin Stitt- 47%
• Mick Cornett - 37% 
• Undecided - 16%

Stitt leads Cornett in the 1st District (56%-28%), 2nd District (52%-28%), among conservatives (50%-35%), self-identified Christian voters (53%-32%), among Trump voters (54%-33%), and among Tea Party supporters (54%-25%).

Cornett leads in the 5th District (47%-41%), among moderates (43%-39%), liberals (43%-21%), traditional Republicans (57%-28%), and libertarians (41%-34%).

The 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts are tied up, with Stitt at 42% and Cornett at 41% in both.

Lieutenant Governor:

• Dana Murphy - 40% 
• Matt Pinnell - 32% 
• Undecided - 28%

Murphy leads in the 1st District (36%-32%), 3rd District (46%-28%), 4th District (40%-33%), 5th District (46%-30%), among moderates (48%-22%), liberals (31%-20%), traditional GOP (50%-25%), Trump voters (40%-32%), libertarians (49%-27%) and Tea Party supporters (46%-19%).

Pinnell leads in the 2nd District (35%-31%). Conservatives narrowly lean to Murphy (38%-35%) while Christian voters are tied at 37%.

State Auditor:

• Cindy Byrd - 35% 
• Charlie Prater - 33% 
• Undecided - 32%

Most demographics are either a narrow Byrd lead or a statistical tie.

Attorney General:

• Mike Hunter - 46% 
• Gentner Drummond - 37% 
• Undecided - 17%

Hunter leads in the 3rd District (48%-33%), 4th District (50%-32%), 5th District (51%-32%), among every ideological breakdown, and among traditional GOP, Christian, and Trump voters.

Drummond leads in the 1st District (46%-39%), 2nd District (44%-40%), among libertarian (42%-39%) and Tea Party voters (44%-30%).

State Superintendent:

• Joy Hofmeister - 50% 
• Linda Murphy - 33% 
• Undecided - 17%

Hofmeister leads in every demographic/ideological category.

Labor Commissioner:

• Cathy Costello - 40% 
• Leslie Osborn - 32% 
• Undecided - 28%

Costello leads in the 1st District (41%-28%), 2nd District (38%-27%), 3rd District (38%-35%), and 5th District (47%-35%). She also leads among conservatives (43%-31%), traditional GOP (39%-35%), Christian (43%-33%), Trump supporters (39%-32%), and Tea Party supporters (51%-20%).

Osborn leads among liberals (34%-24%), moderates (36%-35%), and libertarians (40%-39%). The 4th District is a 37%-37% tie.

Corporation Commissioner:

• Bob Anthony - 50% 
• Brian Bingman - 30% 
• Undecided - 20%

Anthony leads every category except libertarian GOP, where Bingman leads 40% to 36%.

Crosstabs for the poll can be viewed here.

Poll: Stitt 41%, Cornett 32%, both tied with Edmondson

A brand new poll by The Right Strategy Group has businessman Kevin Stitt leading former OKC mayor Mick Cornett by 9%.

In the poll, conducted this week, Stitt received 41.3% to Cornett's 32.6%, with 26.1% undecided.

In general election matchups, Democrat Drew Edmondson led Cornett 39.4% to 39.2% and Stitt 42.4% to 40.9%, both well within the margin of error.

RSG also surveyed the GOP Lieutenant Governor runoff, finding Dana Murphy at 29.6%, Matt Pinnell at 25.4%, and 45.0% undecided.

You can view the crosstabs here.

Stitt goes after Clinton-bundler Super PAC's Cornett ads

In a fundraising email sent out yesterday, GOP gubernatorial candidate Kevin Stitt went after his runoff opponent Mick Cornett over ads being run by a 'dark money' group funded in large part by a Hillary Clinton fundraising bundler.

I posted about the Clinted-bundler group back in December, when they first started to run TV ads supporting Cornett. Now, the Foundation for Economic Prosperity 'dark money' group has started running the same ads that the Oklahoma Values Super PAC previously ran. FEP had supported Todd Lamb in the primary.

Here's what Stitt had to say:

I knew when I got into this race that it wasn’t going to be easy. People warned me that running for office was going to rankle the political establishment and those who’ve failed us for so long.

As a conservative, when you rock the boat, and challenge the status quo, they come after you. But, I didn’t expect it would be with the Democrat money…

This past week, a dark money group began running ads to support my opponent in this race. The kicker? One of their biggest contributors funding this ad has donated thousands to Democrats including Hillary Clinton’s campaign for President!

That’s right, the same forces that worked to elect Hillary Clinton are trying to defeat me.

But, the reality is this is how politics as usual has worked in this state. I’ve had enough. If we’re going to lead Oklahoma to take its rightful place as a Top Ten state, we need conservative leadership, and leadership from the outside with fresh ideas and a fresh perspective.

As we countdown the hours until we enter the final month of this runoff, I’m calling on you to stand with me. My opponent needs Democrats dollars to buy his campaign. I need you. Will you generously chip in a donation of $25, $50, or ever $100, $250, or more?

Let’s show the dark money groups and Democrats who are fighting against us that conservatives across Oklahoma are rallying behind our campaign to start Oklahoma’s turnaround.

I appreciate your generous support. Let’s head into August with momentum on our side!

-Kevin

Cornett names Agriculture Advisory Council

Cornett Names Agriculture Advisory Council

Members hail from across the state, agricultural industries

OKLAHOMA CITY– Republican candidate for Governor and former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett today announced the formation of an Agriculture Advisory Council, tapping seven to serve as advisors on agricultural issues to Cornett during his campaign for Governor.

“Agriculture is one of the largest and most-important industries to our state,” Cornett said. “Throughout this campaign, I’ve sought to learn more about different farming and ranching activities within the agricultural industry, how to grow the industry, and how state government can be a better partner. These seven farmers and ranchers have proven they want a stronger state, and I am pleased to have their support and guidance.”

Members of Cornett’s Agriculture Advisory Council include:

Bob Ed Culver, Tahlequah
Bob Drake, Davis
Keeff Felty, Altus
Joe Neal Hampton, Waukomis
Jimmy Harrel, Leedey
Joey Meibergen, Enid
Ben Walkingstick, Chandler

Cornett said additional agricultural leaders will be added the council in the coming weeks.

Cornett releases his first runoff commercial

Cornett Campaign Releases Opening Ad of Runoff Titled “Okay”

Cornett pitches results, others say ‘Do it again, Mick’

OKLAHOMA CITY– Mick Cornett’s campaign for Governor on Monday announced their first advertisement before the August 28 Primary Runoff Election titled “Okay,” a 60 second spot which features Cornett speaking directly to voters about the challenges facing Oklahoma, the achievements of Oklahoma City while he was Mayor, and supporters urging him to “do it again!”

“As I’ve travelled across our great state, the challenges we are facing are apparent to nearly every Oklahoman,” Cornett said. “State government is a mess, but people aren’t ready to give up. They’re ready for the right person to lead them through it. I’ll work hard for you, your family, and your community no matter what part of the state you call home.”


Blogger's note: the ad ends with supporters saying "Do it again, Mick" -- including former Tulsa mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr. and former football coach Barry Switzer, who I was unaware had endorsed Cornett. 

Stitt and Cornett tied at 37.5% in latest poll

It's a dead heat in the GOP gubernatorial runoff

SoonerPoll/News9/News on 6 Oklahoma GOP Gubernatorial Poll (link) 

483 likely Oklahoma voters, conducted July 18th to 20th. Overall MoE +/- 4.46%. 

• Mick Cornett - 37.5%
• Kevin Stitt - 37.5%
• Undecided - 25.0%

You can view the full crosstabs here.


Other races polled:

Attorney General
Mike Hunter: 38.6%
Gentner Drummond: 29.1%
Undecided: 32.3%

State Superintendent
Joy Hofmeister: 42.9%
Linda Murphy: 30.1%
Undecided: 27.0%

Labor Commissioner
Cathy Costello: 31.8%
Leslie Osborn: 22.1%
Undecided: 46.1%

Group switches from Lamb to Cornett, running new TV ad

The Foundation for Economic Prosperity is running a new ad in support of Mick Cornett in the GOP gubernatorial primary runoff. FEP had supported Todd Lamb in the June primary, and in the past supported James Lankford's 2014 Senate run.

Thursday: Muskogee GOP holding Gubernatorial Forum at Lincoln-Reagan Dinner

Muskogee Republicans to host GOP Gubernatorial Forum at 'Lincoln-Reagan Dinner'

The Muskogee County Republican Party will hold its annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner on Thursday, July 19th, at the Muskogee Civic Center. A candidate forum featuring Mick Cornett and Kevin Stitt, the two Republican candidates in the runoff primary election for Governor, will be held. This event will give voters the opportunity to hear Cornett and Stitt discuss and debate the top issues facing Oklahoma. The forum will be moderated by Russell Mills of KRMG. Other local and statewide Republican candidates will also be present to visit with voters. In addition, six $500 college scholarships will be awarded to area students during the event.

The dinner will begin at 6:30pm. Advance dinner tickets are $30 if purchased by Sunday, July 15th, while tickets at the door will be $40. The public is invited to attend. For more information or to purchase advance discount tickets, email MuskogeeRepublicans@gmail.com or call 918-869-8930.