OKLAHOMA CITY – Gentner Drummond's push to pressure his opponent into taking a drug test taps into voter concerns over candidates' health and could tip the outcome of the contentious runoff election for Oklahoma's Republican nominee for governor, some political observers said.

Following questions from moderators during a televised debate, Drummond's campaign this week released his health records plus the results of a drug test. Drummond, who has been Oklahoma's attorney general since 2023, also questioned whether his opponent, Mike Mazzei, would feel "confident in his physical stature" to do the same.

So far, Mazzei – who has picked up the endorsement of President Donald Trump – has not. 

"This appears to be, like, a pretty close race," said Michael Crespin, director of the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center and political science professor at the University of Oklahoma. "So, there's, like, any number of things that can move the needle one way or another."

Drummond's release of medical records is also a bit of a political ploy to probably try to draw attention to questions about Mazzei's health, Crespin  said. But, he added that voters generally are interested in and care about the health of a candidate.

Questions about the health of candidates and elected officials have been in the national spotlight recently. Speculation about the vitality of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnel, 84 of Kentucky, was rampant online during his recent two-month absence from the Senate. President Donald Trump, 80, has been dogged with questions about his health and cognitive abilities, as was his predecessor, President Joe Biden, who was 82 when he left office.  

Copies of  the 62-year-old Drummond's health records show a negative drug test and that his doctor wrote that he "is in excellent overall health and remains physically active."

The physician noted that Drummond has a history of hypertension and elevated cholesterol, which are controlled by medication and monitoring, the letter said.

His blood pressure was elevated, but not high.

"Based on his most recent comprehensive medical evaluation, including appropriate laboratory testing and clinical assessments, he is fully capable of maintaining a rigorous professional, travel and work schedule," the doctor wrote.

Drummond also has pledged to release his financial records, but the campaign has not done that so far. 

Mazzei told Oklahoma Voice last week he would not discuss releasing his medical and financial records.

He also pointed out that his opponent's campaign is suggesting that he is unfit to be governor and is "probably on some unhelpful medication." He said he was "fit as a fiddle."

Mazzie said he is not on medication and has recovered from a 2008 car accident while he was a state senator that left him with nerve damage to his back. He missed a significant number of votes in the Senate after the crash. 

He said he has not been on pain medication since that car accident.

His campaign did not respond to a request for additional comment.

Having candidates release medical records in Oklahoma races is not unusual nor usual, said Richard Johnson, Oklahoma City University professor of political science.

"When you have a close race, you're looking to turn over every stone that you possibly can," he said. "If you feel like your candidate has an open book, you might be able to throw something out there."

Because a smaller number of voters turnout for runoff elections, "moving a few people at this point does make a difference," Johnson said.

Melody Huckaby Rowlett, University of Oklahoma political science professor, said fewer people vote in the party primary runoff elections and those who vote in the Republican primary system are more conservative.

She noted that Trump, who was the oldest person elected president in the U.S., has released some of his medical records, but not all of them.

Biden, who dropped out of the 2024 presidential race against Trump amid concerns he had suffered a cognitive decline, released a copy of his physical.

Trump's endorsement can sway Republican elections.

Since Drummond doesn't have that, Huckaby Rowlett said, he needs to show something else.

The release of medical records will matter to those who value transparency, she said.

The primary runoff election is Aug. 25.

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