Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and Democratic challenger Joy Hofmeister both took massive fundraising advantages over their opponents into Tuesday's primary election in a state where hot-button issues like abortion, firearms and the death penalty are likely to be a focus in the race.
Stitt, 49, the wealthy former head of a Jenks-based mortgage company, raised about $5.4 million, nearly 20 times as much as his three GOP primary opponents combined, and is a heavy favorite to advance. But the first-term governor also was forced to spend heavily on advertising to counter millions of dollars in dark-money attack ads that painted him as soft on crime.
