Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo; Insider
Gov. Kevin Stitt is running against Democrat Joy Hofmeister in Oklahoma’s gubernatorial race.
In 2020, Oklahoma backed Trump over Biden by over 30 percentage points.
The race is one of 36 gubernatorial races happening across the country.
Republican incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt faces off against Democrat Joy Hofmeister in Oklahoma’s gubernatorial election.
Oklahoma’s gubernatorial candidates
Stitt was elected as governor in 2018 and is finishing up his first term. Prior to his time in politics, he was the president, founder, and CEO of Gateway Mortgage Group. He’s a member of the Cherokee Nation and is only the second governor in US history to be of Native descent.
Stitt’s running a campaign focusing on the economy, improving Oklahoma’s education system, and fiscal responsibility.
Hofmeister, Stitt’s challenger, is the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, a role she’s held since 2015. Hofmeister was previously registered as a Republican but flipped her registration in October 2021 around the time she declared her intention to run for governor.
She’s running on a platform based on protecting access to abortion, investing in education, and fixing physical infrastructure in the state.
Oklahoma’s voting history
Oklahoma backed former President Donald Trump over President Joe Biden by a 33 percentage point margin of victory in 2020. The state has sided with Republicans over the past several decades and Trump’s victory in 2020 marked the fifth consecutive election that the Republican nominee has won by over 30 percentage points.
What experts say
The race between Stitt and Hofmeister is rated as “likely Republican” by Inside Elections, “likely Republican” by The Cook Political Report, and “likely Republican” by Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.