Gentner Drummond defeated incumbent John O'Connor in the Republican primary for attorney general of Oklahoma on June 28, 2022. Libertarian candidate Lynda Steele ran 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."^[1]As of the date of the election, Republicans have held the office of Oklahoma attorney general continuously since voters elected Scott Pruitt (R) to the position in 2010.

Felder described the race before the primary this way: "One attorney general candidate is running on his close working relationship with the governor and his fidelity to the former president, while his challenger has presented himself as an independent who would serve as a check on state government power."^[2]

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.^[1]

O'Connor's professional experience included being a founding shareholder in the law firm of Newton, O'Connor, Turner & Ketchum, P.C. and working as an attorney at Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, P.C.^[3] President Donald Trump (R) nominated O'Connor for a federal judgeship in 2018, but his nomination was returned by the U.S. Senate before the conclusion of the 115th United States Congress. He then withdrew from consideration for re-nomination in 2019. During the campaign, O’Connor highlighted his efforts as state attorney general against some Biden administration policies, including joining lawsuits against vaccine and mask mandates.^[1]

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.^[4] His professional experience included owning The Drummond Law Firm and serving as a principal shareholder and director of Blue Sky Bank.^[4] 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."^[5]

Both candidates criticized the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma but differed on how the state should proceed. In July 2020, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to reverse a decision by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals and ruled that under the Indian Major Crimes Act, lands reserved for the Creek Nation in eastern Oklahoma constituted Indian Country and that the state of Oklahoma could not legally try a Creek citizen for criminal conduct in state court. It confirmed that a large portion of eastern Oklahoma are Indian reservations and not under the state's law enforcement jurisdiction.

Drummond said he would work with the tribes in that area to develop a solution to jurisdictional issues. At a campaign forum, Drummond said, "The Supreme Court has ruled. That was two years ago. For two years we have not had a solution in the state of Oklahoma. … What must be resolved right now is a collaboration with the Native American tribes.^[6] O’Connor said that he met with leaders from four of the six main tribes in the area and would continue to pursue legal action on cases related to tribal jurisdictional matters.^[6] He also said, "Job number one is to protect the sovereignty of the state of Oklahoma."^[7]

A June 2022 poll of 400 likely Republican primary voters by Amber Integrated found Drummond leading O’Connor, 41% to 28%, with 30% undecided. The margin of error was +/- 4.9 percentage points.^[8] A poll of 455 likely Republican primary voters also conducted by Amber Integrated in March showed Drummond with 37% support, O’Connor with 16%, and 47% undecided. The margin of error was +/- 4.6 percentage points.^[9]

This page focuses on Oklahoma's Republican Party Attorney General primary. For more in-depth information on Oklahoma's Democratic Attorney General primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Republican primary for Attorney General of Oklahoma

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Gentner Drummond	50.9	180,444
	John O'Connor	49.1	174,256

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 354,700
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

John O'Connor

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office:

Attorney General of Oklahoma (Assumed office: 2021)

Biography: O'Connor received a bachelor's degree in political science at Oklahoma State University and a J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law. His professional experience includes being a founding shareholder in the Newton, O'Connor, Turner & Ketchum, P.C. law firm and working as an attorney at Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, P.C.. He was appointed state attorney general in July 2021.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

O’Connor highlighted his efforts fighting the Biden administration, including joining lawsuits against vaccine and mask mandates, saying, "We are going to continue doing that as long as they continue treating Oklahomans like they are second-class citizens."

On his website, O'Connor emphasized his endorsement from the National Right to Life Committee and said in a campaign ad that he "pushed the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade."

O'Connor said he would target foreign entities that buy land to illegally grow marijuana in the state: "The illegal ownership sometimes is inflating land prices. So farmers who waited for generations to have an opportunity to buy the land next door are being (beat out) by out-of-country buyers who are paying exorbitant prices."

Show sources

Sources: The Oklahoman, "How rural Oklahomans and marijuana could decide attorney general's race," June 9, 2022; John O'Connor, Attorney General, "Home," accessed June 14, 2022; The Oklahoman, "Gentner Drummond returns to AG race to face John O'Connor in Oklahoma Republican primary," April 17, 2022; ; LinkedIn, "John O'Connor," accessed June 14, 2022;

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Oklahoma in 2022.

Gentner Drummond

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: Drummond received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Oklahoma State University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. He served as a pilot, mission commander and instructor in the U.S. Air Force during the Gulf War. His professional experience includes owning The Drummond Law Firm and serving as a principal shareholder and director of Blue Sky Bank.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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."

Drummond emphasized his independence from Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), saying, "While I deeply respect and like the governor, I am independent of him." and "I believe it is vitally important for state government to have an attorney general who is independently elected by the people. Otherwise, there is a question of whose interests the appointee represents."

On his campaign website, Drummond said he would "Protect victims of sexual assaults by clearing the rape-kit backlog as quickly as possible to arrest predators."

Show sources

Sources: Gentner Drummond, Republican for Attorney General, "Home," accessed June 14, 2022; The Oklahoman, "Gentner Drummond returns to AG race to face John O'Connor in Oklahoma Republican primary," April 17, 2022; The Oklahoman, "Attorney General race pits the Oklahoma governor's pick vs. 'independent' challenger," May 9, 2022; ; LinkedIn, "Gentner Drummond," accessed June 14, 2022;

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Oklahoma in 2022.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

John O'Connor

Election spending

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from candidates submitted to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission in this election. It does not include information on spending by satellite groups. Click here to access the reports.

State profile

Demographic data for Oklahoma
	Oklahoma	U.S.
Total population:	3,907,414	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	68,595	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	73.1%	73.6%
Black/African American:	7.2%	12.6%
Asian:	1.9%	5.1%
Native American:	7.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	7.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	9.6%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	86.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	24.1%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$46,879	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.7%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Oklahoma. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Oklahoma

Oklahoma voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More Oklahoma coverage on Ballotpedia

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

Presidential elections

	2026 → ← 2018
Oklahoma Attorney General
	Democratic primary; Republican primary; General election;
Election details
	Filing deadline: April 15, 2022
	Primary: June 28, 2022; Primary runoff: August 23, 2022; General: November 8, 2022; Pre-election incumbent(s):; John O’Connor (Republican)
How to vote
	Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Voting in Oklahoma
Ballotpedia analysis
	Federal and state primary competitiveness; State executive elections in 2022; Impact of term limits in 2022; State government trifectas; State government triplexes; Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
Oklahoma; executive elections
	Governor; Lieutenant Governor; Attorney General; Treasurer; Auditor; Superintendent of Public Instruction; Corporation Commissioner; Insurance Commissioner; Labor Commissioner

See also: Presidential voting trends in Oklahoma and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Oklahoma, 2022
District	Incumbent	Party	PVI
Oklahoma's 1st	Kevin Hern	Republican	R+14
Oklahoma's 2nd	Open	Republican	R+29
Oklahoma's 3rd	Frank Lucas	Republican	R+24
Oklahoma's 4th	Tom Cole	Republican	R+19
Oklahoma's 5th	Stephanie Bice	Republican	R+12

2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, Oklahoma^[10]
District	Joe Biden	Donald Trump
Oklahoma's 1st	38.0%	59.4%
Oklahoma's 2nd	22.4%	75.8%
Oklahoma's 3rd	26.5%	71.2%
Oklahoma's 4th	33.0%	64.6%
Oklahoma's 5th	40.3%	57.1%

2012-2020

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories
Democratic
Status	2012	2016	2020
Solid Democratic	D	D	D
Trending Democratic	R	D	D
Battleground Democratic	D	R	D
New Democratic	R	R	D
Republican
Status	2012	2016	2020
Solid Republican	R	R	R
Trending Republican	D	R	R
Battleground Republican	R	D	R
New Republican	D	D	R

Following the 2020 presidential election, 100.0% of Oklahomans lived in one of the state's 77 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020. Overall, Oklahoma was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Oklahoma following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Oklahoma county-level statistics, 2020
Solid Republican	77	100.0%
Total voted Democratic	0	0.0%
Total voted Republican	77	100.0%

Historical voting trends

Oklahoma presidential election results (1900-2020)

10 Democratic wins
19 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	N/A	N/A	D	D	D	R	D	R	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Statewide elections

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Oklahoma

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Oklahoma.

U.S. Senate election results in Oklahoma
Race	Winner	Runner up
2020	62.9%	32.8%
2016	67.7%	24.5%
2014	67.9%	29.0%
2014	68.0%	28.6%
2010	70.5%	26.1%
Average	67.4	28.2

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Oklahoma

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Oklahoma.

Gubernatorial election results in Oklahoma
Race	Winner	Runner up
2018	54.3%	42.2%
2014	55.8%	41.0%
2010	60.5%	39.5%
2006	66.5%	33.5%
2002	43.3%	42.6%
Average	56.1	39.8

State partisanship

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Oklahoma's congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Oklahoma, November 2022
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	0	0
Republican	2	5	7
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	5	7

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Oklahoma's top four state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Oklahoma, November 2022
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Kevin Stitt
Lieutenant Governor	Matt Pinnell
Secretary of State	Brian Bingman
Attorney General	John O'Connor

State legislature

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Oklahoma State Legislature as of November 2022.

Oklahoma State Senate

Party		As of November 2022
	Democratic Party	9
	Republican Party	39
	Vacancies	0
Total		48

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Party		As of November 2022
	Democratic Party	18
	Republican Party	82
	Vacancies	1
Total		101

Trifecta control

As of November 2022, Oklahoma was a Republican trifecta, with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Oklahoma Party Control: 1992-2022
Five years of Democratic trifectas • Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	S	S	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Demographics

The table below details demographic data in Oklahoma and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

Demographic Data for Oklahoma
	Oklahoma	United States
Population	3,959,353	331,449,281
Land area (sq mi)	68,596	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White	71.1%	70.4%
Black/African American	7.3%	12.6%
Asian	2.2%	5.6%
Native American	7.7%	0.8%
Pacific Islander	0.2%	0.2%
Other (single race)	2.8%	5.1%
Multiple	8.7%	5.2%
Hispanic/Latino	10.9%	18.2%
Education
High school graduation rate	88.6%	88.5%
College graduation rate	26.1%	32.9%
Income
Median household income	$53,840	$64,994
Persons below poverty level	15.3%	12.8%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

2022 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This election was a battleground race. Other 2022 battleground elections included:

External links

Suggest a link

Footnotes

[FelderApril-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 The Oklahoman, "Gentner Drummond returns to AG race to face John O'Connor in Oklahoma Republican primary," April 17, 2022

[2] The Oklahoman, "Appointed Oklahoma AG seeks gains days before primary vote," June 19, 2022

[3] ‘’LinkedIn’’, "John O'Connor," accessed June 14, 2022

[Drummondbio-4] 4.0 ^4.1 LinkedIn, "Gentner Drummond," accessed June 14, 2022

[5] Gentner Drummond, Republican for Attorney General, "Home," accessed June 14, 2022

[AGforum-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Tulsa World, "Oklahoma GOP attorney general candidates spar at local appearance," May 12, 2022

[7] The Oklahoman, "Attorney General race pits the Oklahoma governor's pick vs. 'independent' challenger," May 9, 2022

[8] Amber Integrated, "Amber Integrated Releases Survey On Upcoming 2022 Primary And General Elections," June 13, 2022

[9] Amber Integrated, "Amber Integrated Releases Surveys On Upcoming 2022 Primary And General Elections," March 30, 2022

[10] Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed September 9, 2022

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Oklahoma	State Executive Elections	News and Analysis

Oklahoma State Executive Offices Oklahoma State Legislature Oklahoma Courts	2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Oklahoma elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016	Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

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Oklahoma Attorney General election, 2022 (June 28 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

Republican primary election