- June 14, 2026 at 11:20PMWhy Mazzei?
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In previous entries, I explained why it was important not to have a Gentner Drummond vs. Charles McCall runoff for the Republican nomination for Governor. I explained why I don't see Jake Merrick as a viable alternative, and why I worry he may draw enough conservative votes from Mike Mazzei and Chip Keating to give Drummond/McCall the two slots in the August runoff. I've also expressed my extreme displeasure with Mazzei's explanation of his 2014 State Senate vote in favor of SB 906, which would have signed Oklahoma up to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, agreeing to give Oklahoma's seven electors not to the candidate that won Oklahoma but to the winner of the sum of popular votes from the 50 states and DC, numbers that are easily manipulated by states with, shall we say, very porous election integrity laws, such as California and Illinois. No, he didn't vote to abolish the electoral college, he just voted to repurpose it in a way that would have effectively disenfranchised Oklahomans and removed firewalls against voter fraud in presidential elections. So why Mike Mazzei over Chip Keating? 1. I like Mazzei's plan. He's going to eliminate Oklahoma's income tax and start the process of eliminating property taxes on homes of seniors and veterans. He's right in pointing out that foreign ownership of land is a constitutional issue in Oklahoma, but the prohibition has to be enforced. 2. Mazzei built his own business and his own fortune from a very small beginning in the 1990s by helping his clients build wealth. Keating's resume gives the impression that he worked real jobs for about 10 years, then has spent the last 16 years clipping coupons and sitting on boards because of his name. Two businesses listed in Keating's old University Health Authority and Trust board bio are Energy 11, LP and Energy Resources 12, LP. This article, by a securities law firm, suggests that these were not successful ventures, at least not at that point in time, although they appear to be ongoing. 3. Mazzei seems to be the best of the four front-runners on defending Oklahoma sovereignty. For comparison, here are the answers Mazzei and Keating gave during the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus debate back in March, which included McCall and Merrick -- Drummond was represented by an empty suit:
- June 14, 2026 at 11:20PMWhy Mazzei? Click the headline to read the full story. |
Michael Bates "I blog about local politics, urban planning, western swing music, and other stuff at Archives
May 2026
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