House Democrat leader announces run for Oklahoma governor
House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, announces herself as a candidate for Oklahoma governor in the 2026 election on Tuesday outside the state Capitol. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY — Democrat House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson announced she'll run for governor in 2026 during a campaign event outside the state Capitol Tuesday.
Munson, 39, of Oklahoma City, was first elected to the Oklahoma House in 2015 as the first Asian-American woman in the state Legislature. She said she will continue to serve in her role as House Minority Leader until her term ends in 2026.
'I'm going to spend the next year-and-a-half traveling our beautiful state, listening to people and asking them what's important to them,' she said. 'I want to know what they love about Oklahoma and what they think we can do better, because that is what this campaign is about, the people of our great state, and that is what I will carry with me as your next governor.'
She filed paperwork with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Monday.
Munson is the only Democrat to announce a bid for governor during the 2026 election cycle thus far, but already faces opposition from a crowded Republican field that includes Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former House Speaker Charles McCall, former state Sen. Mike Mazzei, and Leisa Mitchell Haynes of Choctaw.
Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, cannot run again due to term limits.
She said she was the first Democrat to flip her seat from Republican, and plans to use the same strategy of listening to Oklahomans regardless of their political affiliation in her campaign for governor.
'I know I'm not what you would call a typical candidate for governor. I work for a living, I pay my student loans, I rent my house, and I know what it is like to live within a budget,' she said. 'I feel the pressure of rising costs of our daily necessities. I don't come from a wealthy family. I'm not beholden to any political party. I'm not an extremist. I have a proven track record of working across the aisle to get things done and won't pander to Washington D.C. politicians who only want to continue deepening our political divide. And as your next governor, I will fight for the things that will help everyday Oklahomans.'
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