Why It Matters
Oklahoma’s Republican primary elections have become a proving ground for outside spending influence, with independent expenditures and candidate campaign funds together surpassing $54 million in the weeks before the June 16 vote. The surge raises fresh questions about political transparency, the role of AI-generated advertising, and the effectiveness of existing disclosure requirements.
What Happened
Outside groups reported $27.5 million in independent expenditures to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission between April 1 and June 14 — a figure that nearly matched the $26.9 million candidates spent from their own campaign accounts during roughly the same period. Republican primaries for governor and attorney general drew the heaviest outside investment.
In the attorney general race, Secure Oklahoma PAC poured $3.42 million into advertising that opposed candidate Jon Echols while backing Jeff Starling. Notably, the PAC held just $1,000 in its bank account as of March 31, meaning the bulk of its spending materialized rapidly in the weeks before the election.
The governor’s race saw similarly aggressive outside activity. Make Oklahoma Great Again PAC spent at least $3 million supporting Gov. Gentner Drummond and attacking challenger Mike Mazzei, including an AI-generated advertisement depicting Mazzei alongside Hillary Clinton. Multiple television stations declined to air the ad. Meanwhile, School Freedom Fund Oklahoma spent $3.1 million in attack ads directed at Drummond.
Mazzei, who received a May 29 endorsement from President Donald Trump, faced a combined $4.3 million in attack advertising from political action committees. Critics targeted him for a 2014 vote in favor of the National Popular Vote Compact bill. Separately, candidate Frank Keating drew $1.5 million in opposition spending from the Oklahoma Conservative Coalition and Faith and Freedom Forward PAC.
By the Numbers
$27.5 million — independent expenditures reported to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, April 1 through June 14.
$26.9 million — total candidate campaign spending over roughly the same window.
$3.42 million — Secure Oklahoma PAC’s advertising outlay, up from a $1,000 account balance in late March.
$4.3 million — attack ads targeting Mazzei from various PACs.
$3.1 million — School Freedom Fund Oklahoma’s spending against Drummond.
Transparency Debate
The spending wave has renewed calls for disclosure reform. Mazzei argued that full transparency is the most effective tool against misleading attacks, saying, “Total transparency will clean up campaigns and provide at least some accountability for false and misleading attacks.” Drummond echoed the sentiment, stating, “I believe sunlight is the best disinfectant. Voters have a right to know who is spending money to influence elections.”
Legislation that could have addressed some transparency gaps stalled before this cycle. Senate Bill 1051, introduced in 2025 by Sen. Dusty Deevers, would have barred outside groups from registering under fictitious names or using false addresses. The bill never received a committee hearing. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is scheduled to hold an interim study on dark money in October.
The AI-generated advertisement targeting Mazzei prompted Gov. Kevin Stitt to threaten calling a special legislative session specifically to regulate AI use in political advertising — a sign that regulators are playing catch-up with rapidly evolving campaign technology.
Zoom Out
Oklahoma’s experience mirrors a national pattern of surging outside spending in state-level primaries, with PACs often assembling large war chests quickly and deploying them in concentrated bursts near election day. Some states have moved to tighten disclosure thresholds: Colorado, for instance, requires donor disclosure once an outside group spends $10,000 or more. Oklahoma’s current framework does not impose comparable triggers, leaving a broad window for low-visibility spending.
The use of AI-generated political imagery also reflects a trend playing out across the country, where synthetic media is outpacing both legal guardrails and broadcaster self-regulation.
What’s Next
With the June 16 primary now determining nominees, the results will test whether heavy outside investment translated into electoral outcomes — and whether the candidates who attracted the most attack spending survived. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission’s October interim study on dark money could set the stage for future legislative action, though reform efforts have historically struggled to advance in the state’s Republican-dominated legislature.