Gentner Drummond ousts John O'Connor as Oklahoma attorney general in GOP primary

For the second election in a row, Gentner Drummond sweated through a close race in the Republican primary for attorney general.

But on Tuesday, unlike his primary runoff in 2018 when he lost by 271 votes, Drummond was the candidate on top.

“This is a landslide,” Drummond joked during his victory speech, remarking on his win over incumbent John O’Connor by more than 6,000 votes.

Drummond campaigned as an attorney general who would be independent of the governor’s office, a prosecutor who would investigate corruption, no matter who was involved.

"I believe (we need) at least one public servant that answers to the people, not the special interest groups or politicians," Drummond said at his watch party in Tulsa. "We've had too much scandal and too much secrecy in the past few years, and I believe it's time to change that."

But Tuesday’s election won’t bring an immediate change to the office of the attorney general as the next term doesn’t begin until January.

With a Libertarian candidate for attorney general, Drummond will appear on the November ballot, where he will be a strong favorite.

O’Connor will remain attorney general for the next six months.

O’Connor and Drummond traded accusations of corruption, disloyalty to the party and other attacks in the final months of the campaign. But on Tuesday O’Connor promised to assist Drummond when he gets ready to enter the office.

"I'm honored to continue to serve for a few months, and then there will be a very smooth transition," O'Connor said.

Gentner Drummond won most of Oklahoma's rural counties

O'Connor won both of the state's largest counties, including a 9-point win in Tulsa, where both candidates are from. With endorsements from some of the state's largest agriculture organizations, he may have expected to do well in the state's rural communities.

But Drummond, who owns a large cattle ranch operation, road to victory mostly through the state's rural counties, especially in eastern Oklahoma, where there is a large tribal presence.

Drummond’s win was celebrated by many tribal leaders, especially after O’Connor largely adopted Gov. Kevin Stitt’s playbook of blaming the U.S. Supreme Court's McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling, which led to roughly half the state being affirmed as Native American reservations, for creating legal chaos.

Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, said candidates like O'Connor "framed Cherokee sovereignty as a threat," and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chief Gary Batton said he expected a better relationship with Drummond.

“We are pleased to see so many Oklahoma voters demonstrate they understand the importance of having an attorney general who respects tribal sovereignty,” Batton said. “We expect the next attorney general will be someone willing to engage in constructive dialog with the Tribes as our governments work together to protect public safety and enforce the law.”

After winning Tuesday night, Drummond spoke of repairing the state's relationship "with our native friends."

Drummond had argued for a more cooperative relationship between the state and its tribal nations and said he would no longer seek to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling.

"They are not just tribal members, they are Oklahomans," Drummond said.

The day after his election victory, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Oklahoma can resume prosecuting some crimes involving Native Americans, which narrowed the scope of its 2020 decision.

Drummond said the ruling should bring the state and tribal leaders to the table to work out a path forward.

" As Oklahoma’s next Attorney General, I will make it a priority to agree on a final resolution that guarantees justice for all victims," Drummond said in a statement to The Oklahoman. "I believe we can achieve this through cooperation and collaboration with local law enforcement, tribal leaders, and other vital stakeholders. My top priority is and always will be the safety and security of all four million Oklahomans."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Drummond ousts O'Connor as Oklahoma attorney general in GOP primary