More than 600,000 Oklahomans voted in Tuesday’s primary election, soundly rejecting a state question to raise the minimum wage and narrowing the candidate field in dozens of races that attracted record-breaking spending.  In statewide races, incumbents and candidates with previous officehol ding experience generally fared well, with the exception of State Treasurer Todd Russ. Most sitting Republican state lawmakers, challenged from the right by candidates who argued they weren’t conservative enough, were also able to retain their seats.  Democrats overwhelmingly selected House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson as their nominee for governor. In Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District, which produced a surprise Democratic upset in 2018, former state superintendent candidate Jena Nelson defeated Trey Martin. The race garnered national attention after U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Martin, an ironworker from Edmond.  Focus now shifts to the August runoff election, where Republican voters will decide four statewide primary races and a handful of state legislative contests. A Democratic runoff for U.S. Senate was also set. State law requires candidates to receive a majority of votes to advance.  Here are four takeaways from Tuesday’s election results, which are unofficial until certified by the Oklahoma State Election Board.  Several Statewide Races Go to Runoff  The power of the incumbency and the endorsement were on full display in Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial primary.  Attorney General Gentner Drummond will face off against former state senator Mike Mazzei in an August 25 runoff. The winner will be widely favored to become the state’s next governor, as a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide election in Oklahoma in two decades. Bolstered by nearly $11 million in personal loans and an endorsement from President Donald Trump, Mazzei was able to overcome early deficits in polling and name recognition. He campaigned heavily on a promise to reduce and phase out property taxes, starting with seniors.  Drummond, who was elected attorney general in 2022, touted his office’s efforts to crack down on illicit marijuana operations and consumer fraud. He received early endorsements from the Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police and Professional Firefighters of Oklahoma.  State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd soundly defeated incumbent State Treasurer Todd Russ by a 20-plus point margin. In the months leading up to election day, Russ faced scrutiny over his ties to a lobbyist who received a state contract and his use of a Clinton state office as a commuting hub.  Jon Echols, former Republican House majority leader, defeated Jeff Starling to secure the party’s nomination for attorney general. The race attracted more than $8 million in outside spending, most of it negative.  Republican runoffs were also set for state superintendent, insurance commissioner and labor commissioner. For a full list of races and results, click here.  Incumbent Legislators Perform Well After political outsiders ousted multiple high-ranking legislators in 2024, lawmakers were on high alert against primary challengers.  A major shakeup did not materialize. Thirty-four of 37 incumbents facing a primary challenge, all Republicans, secured their party’s nomination or won reelection outright on Tuesday night. Another two, Sens. Dana Prieto and Jack Stewart, are headed to an August runoff.  Voters in line to vote in the primary election on June 16, 2026, at Tulsa County Precinct 177. (Andrea Eger/Oklahoma Watch) The only incumbent immediately ousted was Sen. Dusty Deevers, a pastor from Elgin who has pushed for legislation to ban pornography statewide and authorize murder charges for those who receive an abortion. He received less than 30% of the vote in Senate District 32.  Deevers, who was elected to the seat in a 2023 special election, faced more than $200,000 in outside spending ahead of the election. Challengers Jean Hausheer and Curtis Erwin will face off in the August runoff.  State Question Defeated Voters rejected State Question 832, which proposed gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2029. Proponents of the voter-initiated state statute gathered signatures in 2024 and had hoped it would appear on the November 2024 ballot, but faced procedural delays. Gov. Kevin Stitt set the question for the June 2026 primary ballot, an election date with lower voter turnout than the November general election.  Nearly $4.5 million in state question communications was reported to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. More than half of it came from People for Opportunity, a dark money group that advocated against the initiative. Stitt, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton and more than 100 other Republican lawmakers opposed raising the minimum wage. Incumbents Win Competitive Congressional Races Continue All Republican congressional incumbents won their races in landslides, with fifth congressional district candidate Stephanie Bice running unopposed. Bice will face Jena Nelson, who beat Sen. Bernie Sanders-endorsed Trey Martin, in the November general election. The most competitive congressional race was for the first congressional district, where five candidates sought to replace Kevin Hern, who secured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Mark Tedford and Jackson Lahmeyer will face off in an August 25 runoff for the first congressional district Republican nomination. Trump-endorsed Lahmeyer was at the center of a sexting controversy two days before the primary election when an online tabloid published a story alleging he was caught sending intimate text messages to a woman who worked as a fundraiser for his campaign. Keaton Ross covers democracy and criminal justice for Oklahoma Watch. Contact him at (405) 831-9753 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @_KeatonRoss. Jake Ramsey is a reporter covering evictions, housing and homelessness. Contact him at (405) 370-3798 or [email protected]. The post Incumbency, Presidential Endorsements Beneficial in Oklahoma’s Primary Election appeared first on Oklahoma Watch. ...read more read less