President Trump threw his support behind Republican Kevin Stitt in Oklahoma’s gubernatorial race, endorsing the political outsider two days after he won a runoff election for the GOP nod.
“Kevin Stitt ran a great winning campaign against a very tough opponent in Oklahoma,” Trump tweeted. “Kevin is a very successful businessman who will be a fantastic Governor. He is strong on Crime & Borders, the 2nd Amendment, & loves our Military & Vets. He has my complete and total Endorsement!”
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Stitt, a mortgage broker and first-time candidate, beat out several more experienced politicians in the state’s Republican primary in June.
But neither he nor former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett won the 50 percent of the vote needed to secure the party’s gubernatorial nomination, sending them into a runoff.
Stitt vanquished Cornett on Tuesday by more than 9 points, setting him up for a general election fight with former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson (D) in November.
Trump’s endorsement has proved valuable in Republican primaries across the country. But whether it will carry the same weight in general elections remains to be seen. Trump beat out Hillary Clinton in Oklahoma in 2016 by 36 points.
While Oklahoma is a deep-red state, voters there have a history of electing conservative Democrats to the governor’s mansion. Since 1971, five of the state’s eight governors have been Democrats.