GOP scrambles to shore up incumbent governor in Oklahoma: report

The Republican Governors Association is spending big in the deep-red state of Oklahoma to help the re-election campaign of embattled Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Describing the spending as a "rescue mission," Politico reported, "Stitt has been deadlocked in a string of recent public polls in the state with Democrat Joy Hofmeister, the state superintendent of education, who switched parties at the end of last year to launch her gubernatorial bid. Some surveys released since the beginning of the month have even shown Hofmeister with a narrow lead over the incumbent governor."

The RGA announced it will be placing a "seven figure" ad buy to boost Stitt.

"Stitt has faced a surprisingly robust wave of television ads attacking him over the last two years, which his allies point to as the reason why he is locked in a close contest. According to data from AdImpact, an ad tracking firm, over $7 million in advertising has been booked by groups either attacking Stitt or boosting Hofmeister in the general election, with an additional $1 million from her campaign," Politico reported. "And in an unusual display of unity in the state, the leaders of Oklahoma’s five largest Native American tribes all endorsed Hofmeister earlier this month, calling this year’s gubernatorial contest 'the most important in generations for all Oklahomans' in a joint statement."

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The Associated Press noted it is the "first time in modern history that the tribes, which often have unique or competing interests, have weighed in on a governor’s race in such a public way."

Stitt has also faced backlash after signing a bill in May that The New York Timesreported was, "the most restrictive abortion ban in the country."

Politico noted, "victory for Hofmeister would represent a dramatic and unlikely shift of power in the state. Republicans have supermajorities in both of the state legislative chambers. The last Democratic governor served over a decade ago, and there are no Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation, after former Rep. Kendra Horn lost the House seat she won in the 2018 blue wave just two years later. (Horn is now running in the special election for retiring GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe’s seat.)"

Read the full report.