Gentner Drummond defeated incumbent John O’Connor in the Republican primary for attorney general of Oklahoma on June 28, 2022. Libertarian candidate Lynda Steele is running in the general election, but no Democratic candidates filed to run. According to Ben Felder in The Oklahoman, “Libertarians have never won a statewide race in Oklahoma, giving the Republican primary winner a sizable advantage in November.” Republicans have held the office of Oklahoma attorney general since voters elected Scott Pruitt (R) to the position in 2010.
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) appointed O’Connor to the office on July 23, 2021, to succeed Mike Hunter (R). Hunter—who was elected in 2018—resigned on June 1, 2021, after The Oklahoman inquired about whether he was having an extramarital affair.
Drummond ran for attorney general in 2018 and advanced from that year’s Republican primary with 38.5% of the vote to Hunter’s 44.5%. In the primary runoff, Hunter defeated Drummond by 273 votes, 50.05% to 49.95%. Drummond served as a pilot and instructor in the U.S. Air Force during the Gulf War. His professional experience included owning The Drummond Law Firm and serving as a principal shareholder and director of Blue Sky Bank. Drummond said on his campaign website that “As attorney general, he will defend our rights, uphold the rule of law, and serve the people of Oklahoma, not the political elite.”
