By Steve Mollman0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Wendy Drummond, the wife of Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Gentner Drummond, released a video defending her husband against attacks tied to a 2020 campaign donation to then presidential candidate Joe Biden.
The video, posted on social media on Friday, comes days after a high-profile fact check examined claims from a May 28 Republican primary debate in which rivals questioned Drummond’s conservative credentials over the issue.
...Read More on PoliticsBiden Donation Controversy
The controversy has emerged as a key line of attack in Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial primary, where candidates are competing in a crowded field ahead of the June 16 election.
The race is unfolding in a deeply conservative state where Republicans dominate statewide politics, and the GOP primary often determines the next governor—raising the stakes for disputes over ideological purity. Alleged ties to Democratic candidates can be politically damaging in such contests.
The issue also coincides with President Donald Trump’s endorsement of state senator Mike Mazzei last month, a development that has intensified competition among top contenders.
Governor Race GOP Candidates
The Republican primary field includes several high-profile candidates vying to succeed term-limited Governor Kevin Stitt. Leading contenders include Oklahoma Attorney General Drummond, Mazzei, former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall, and former state Public Safety Secretary Chip Keating.
Mazzei has drawn particular attention after securing the endorsement from Trump, while Drummond has positioned himself as a more independent-minded Republican. The crowded field has produced sharp exchanges over policy records, political allegiances, and ideological credentials in the weeks leading up to the primary.
Biden Donation Explained
In a fact check of the May 28 debate at Cameron University, The Frontier, a nonprofit Oklahoma news outlet, analyzed public records and campaign finance data to examine a key claim raised by Drummond’s rivals about a $1,000 donation listed under his name to Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
The outlet found that Federal Election Commission (FEC) records do show a contribution recorded under the name “Drummond,” but it was later refunded, with the campaign saying the payment resulted from an error.
In her video—posted on X, Instagram, and Facebook—Wendy Drummond says she was responsible for that error, explaining that she attempted to make a political contribution in 2020 without her husband’s knowledge but mistakenly used an Apple Pay account linked to a joint credit card, causing it to be attributed to him. She says the transaction was identified and canceled and that “not one penny was ever given to Joe Biden.”
She also says political opponents have repeatedly used the incident to attack her husband and question his conservative record. She pointed to his support for Republican causes, including past contributions to Trump.
The dispute has become part of a broader exchange of accusations among candidates over taxes, records, and political positions as the primary campaign intensifies.
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Primary Election Timeline
The Republican primary is scheduled for June 16, with a runoff on August 25 if no candidate secures a majority, followed by the general election on November 3.
With debates, endorsements, and campaign messaging continuing in the final stretch, candidates are expected to keep focusing on rivals’ records as they compete for GOP voters in what is widely seen as the contest likely to decide the next governor in the solidly Republican state.
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