The 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Oklahoma. Incumbent Republican governor Mary Fallin was term-limited, and was prohibited by the Constitution of Oklahoma from seeking a third term. Republican Businessman Kevin Stitt was elected with 54.3% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee and former Oklahoma attorney general Drew Edmondson.

Primary elections occurred on June 26, 2018. Edmondson won the Democratic nomination outright. Stitt, however, faced a runoff election against former Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett. On August 28, 2018, Stitt won the Republican primary runoff and became the Republican nominee for the office. The Libertarian Party also held a primary, which advanced to a runoff, with Chris Powell, a former chair of the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma, winning the nomination.

Stitt won the general election with 54.33% of the vote. This was the first time ever that the Libertarian Party was on the ballot in a gubernatorial election in Oklahoma, and the only time since 1986 that a candidate from the incumbent president's party was elected Governor of Oklahoma.

A member of the Cherokee Nation, Stitt became the first tribally enrolled Native American to serve as governor of a U.S. state. Despite his victory, Stitt lost four counties that voted Republican in the 2016 U.S. presidential race: Cherokee, Cleveland, Muskogee, and Oklahoma.

Republican primary Candidates Nominated Kevin Stitt, businessman

Eliminated in the primary runoff Mick Cornett, former mayor of Oklahoma City

Eliminated in the initial primary Christopher Barnett, businessman Dan Fisher, former state representative Eric Foutch, veteran Barry Gowdy, nurse Gary Jones, Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Todd Lamb, Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma Gary Richardson, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, nominee for OK-02 in 1978 and 1980, and independent candidate for governor in 2002 Blake "Cowboy" Stephens, rancher and educator

Endorsements

First round Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MickCornett DanFisher GaryJones ToddLamb GaryRichardson KevinStitt Other UndecidedRight Strategy Group (R)Right Strategy Group (R) June 6–7, 2018 435 ± 4.5% 21% 4% 2% 20% 6% 20% – 28%Oklahoma Strategic Solutions (R-Richardson)Oklahoma Strategic Solutions (R-Richardson) May 22–23, 2018 500 ± 4.4% 13% 4% 3% 20% 13% 17% – 30%Right Strategy Group (R) May 22–23, 2018 409 ± 5.0% 20% 4% 3% 20% 4% 21% – 29%SoonerPollSoonerPoll May 15–23, 2018 319 – 20% 3% 4% 23% 3% 14% 1% 31%Magellan StrategiesMagellan Strategies April 18–19 and 22, 2018 644 ± 3.9% 17% 5% 5% 19% 12% 19% – 23%SoonerPollSoonerPoll March 14–22, 2018 294 – 22% 4% 3% 21% 7% 8% – 36%Oklahoma Strategic Solutions (R-Richardson)Oklahoma Strategic Solutions (R-Richardson) March 9, 2018 500 ± 4.4% 15% 2% 3% 14% 10% 8% – 48%SoonerPollSoonerPoll January 4–9, 2018 213 – 24% 4% 3% 18% 9% 3% – 39%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JimBridenstine ToddLamb ScottPruitt UndecidedSoonerPollSoonerPoll September 1–15, 2017 403 ± 4.9% 19% 33% 16% 32%

Results

Runoff

Campaign finance + Pre-runoff report due August 20, 2018 Candidate Totalraised Totalspent Totalcash-on-hand Kevin Stitt $6,542,863.91 $6,018,662.13 $368,557.72 Mick Cornett $3,242,795.74 $2,826,305.70 $336,691.50

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MickCornett KevinStitt UndecidedRemington (R)Remington (R) August 1–2, 2018 1,757 ± 2.3% 37% 47% 16%Right Strategy Group (R)Right Strategy Group (R) August 1–2, 2018 385 ± 5.0% 33% 41% 26%SoonerPollSoonerPoll July 18–20, 2018 483 ± 4.5% 37% 37% 25%

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominated Drew Edmondson, former attorney general of Oklahoma and candidate for governor of Oklahoma in 2010

Eliminated in the primary Connie Johnson, former state senator and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2014

Withdrew Scott Inman, state representative Norman Jay Brown, auto mechanic

Declined Dan Boren, former U.S. representative Joe Dorman, former state representative and nominee for governor in 2014

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DrewEdmondson ConnieJohnson UndecidedRight Strategy Group (R) June 6–7, 2018 – – 45% 11% 45%SoonerPoll May 15–23, 2018 297 ± 5.7% 44% 14% 43%

with Norman Brown Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error NormanBrown DrewEdmondson ConnieJohnson UndecidedSoonerPoll March 14–22, 2018 264 – 4% 34% 13% 50%SoonerPollSoonerPoll January 4–9, 2018 162 – 4% 40% 21% 35%

Results

Libertarian primary Candidates Nominated Chris Powell, former chair of the Oklahoma Libertarian Party and candidate for Oklahoma County Clerk in 2016

Eliminated in the primary runoff Rex L. Lawhorn, former chair of the Oklahoma Americans Elect Party and Oklahoma State Director for Our America Initiative

Eliminated in the initial primary Joe Exotic, zoo operator

Endorsements

First round Results

Runoff Campaign finance + Pre-runoff report due August 20, 2018 Candidate Totalraised Totalspent Totalcash-on-hand Chris Powell $10,142.88 $6,991.02 $3,017.51 Rex L. Lawhorn $4,575.00 $5,286.87 ($736.87)

Results

General election

Oklahoma determines ballot order by a random drawing which took place for this election cycle on July 12, resulting in the Libertarian Party being listed first, Republicans second, and Democrats third.

Debates Complete video of debate , September 24, 2018

Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political Report October 26, 2018The Washington Post November 5, 2018FiveThirtyEight November 5, 2018Rothenberg Political Report November 1, 2018Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2018RealClearPolitics November 4, 2018Daily Kos November 5, 2018Fox News November 5, 2018Politico November 5, 2018Governing November 5, 2018

Polling

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KevinStitt (R) Drew ChrisPowell (L) UndecidedSoonerPollSoonerPoll October 31 – November 3, 2018 338 ± 5.3% 47% 44% 3% 6%SoonerPollSoonerPoll October 23–25, 2018 447 ± 4.6% 46% 42% 4% 8%Magellan Strategies (R)Magellan Strategies (R) October 22–23, 2018 500 ± 4.4% 51% 44% 1% 4%Cole Hargrave Snodgrass (R)Cole Hargrave Snodgrass (R) September 25–29, 2018 500 ± 4.3% 46% 40% 4% –Right Strategy Group (R)Right Strategy Group (R) September 25–26, 2018 1,058 ± 3.0% 47% 43% 2% 8%SoonerPollSoonerPoll September 5–10, 2018 407 ± 4.9% 47% 44% 3% 6%Right Strategy Group (R) August 1–2, 2018 737 ± 4.0% 41% 42% – 17%SoonerPollSoonerPoll July 18–20, 2018 404 ± 4.9% 39% 40% – 21%SoonerPollSoonerPoll May 15–23, 2018 622 ± 3.9% 25% 32% – 43%

with Mick Cornett Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Mick Drew UndecidedRight Strategy Group (R) August 1–2, 2018 737 ± 4.0% 39% 39% 21%SoonerPoll July 18–20, 2018 404 ± 4.9% 43% 35% 23%SoonerPoll May 15–23, 2018 622 ± 3.9% 33% 27% 40%

with Todd Lamb Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error ToddLamb (R) Drew UndecidedSoonerPoll May 15–23, 2018 622 ± 3.9% 33% 28% 39%

Results

By county Stitt won 73 counties, while Edmondson won four. Stitt won 56 counties with at least 60% of the popular vote, 14 counties with at least 70%, and three counties – Beaver, Cimarron, and Ellis – with upwards of 80%. Stitt had the largest margin of victory in Cimarron with 73.09% more votes than Edmondson's 12.27%, the latter's lowest county performance in the election. The largest county per vote count won by Stitt was Tulsa County, home of Tulsa. Oklahoma County, of which Oklahoma City is county seat, was the only county where Stitt failed to acquire three out of every seven votes.

Edmondson won Muskogee by a single vote, and had an 11.84% margin of victory – his only margin of victory above 10% – in Oklahoma County. Edmondson won his four counties with typically narrower margins than that of Stitt, having missed 50% of the popular vote in Muskogee. Powell never came close to winning any counties, but won his highest percentage of votes in Washita County, with 4.97%