Munson makes waves in red OK

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE

Younger voters, Trump fatigue are key for her

Alex Gladden

The Oklahoman USA TODAY NETWORK

Cyndi Munson shook hands and gave hugs before she sat down at the table for a gubernatorial forum at St. John Missionary Baptist Church.

Placards for all five candidates in the Nov. 3 race lined the table. Munson sat behind the one with her name. The other seats remained empty.

For an hour and a half, the Democratic nominee answered questions from a moderator and audience members gathered at the predominantly Black church in Oklahoma City.

“I know what it’s like to be overlooked, underestimated, undervalued, looked at as if I can’t do things because of who I am and what I look like, and I know that is absolutely untrue,” Munson said as the crowd applauded.

This is how Munson has campaigned as she tries to become the first Democrat elected to Oklahoma’s highest office in nearly two decades. Munson is relying on meeting Oklahomans in person and frequent social media postings targeting young voters on TikTok and Instagram.

She hopes the strategy will help her overcome a numbers gap. As she tries to win over voters, Munson has built more momentum than political experts thought possible when she first announced her bid for governor.

She is drawing crowds at the events she has hosted in all 77 counties of Oklahoma. Across the state, her signature green signs dot lawns. She has raised more money in individual donations than her favored Republican counterpart.

But is it possible for her to win? Of the more than 2.4 million voters in Oklahoma, more than 1.3 million are Republicans. There are about 622,000 Democratic voters.

While no independent polls are comparing Munson’s popularity to her GOP opponent, Mike Mazzei, political experts agree that, to win, Munson still would have the hugely difficult task of convincing Republicans to choose her over Mazzei, whom President Donald Trump endorsed before the primary.

In a state where Trump has won every county in Oklahoma in each of his last three bids for president, the president’s endorsement has had significant sway.

But Trump’s popularity is waning nationwide. Americans are weighed down by soaring gas prices and inflation that continues to rise.

Oklahomans are doubly frustrated by schools and a health care system that are among the worst in the nation, according to numerous rankings.

Munson is banking on Oklahoma voters wanting change. During the Oct. 6 forum at the Oklahoma City church, she highlighted her stances on common-ground issues, such as

Cyndi Munson, center, is the Democratic nominee for governor. She faces Mike Mazzei in the general election.

NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN

education and health care.

“You’re going to naturally disagree on some issues, but the big things, the things that we know we have to get right in Oklahoma, we’re on the same page of,” Munson told The Oklahoman.

As the governor’s race closes in on its final weeks, some outside indicators are suggesting the contest is tighter than expected.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which tracks political races nationwide, cooled its forecast for the race in mid-October from a solid Republican win to a likely Republican win.

Political insiders also have pointed to Trump’s decision to hold a rally in Oklahoma partially on Mazzei’s behalf as a sign of growing pressure in the race.

“If we’re fighting over elections in states like Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, I think that’s a good place for Democrats to be,” said Eric Hyers, who ran Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign in both 2019 and 2023.

Trump visited Kentucky the day before Beshear won his first election in 2019, Hyers said.

Beshear chairs the Democratic Governors Association, which historically has not been active in recent Oklahoma elections. But the group has acknowledged the race is becoming more competitive and said it is “partnering closely” with Munson’s campaign.

“The DGA knows how to win in red states, and with Mike Mazzei struggling with voters in both parties, we are prepared to capitalize on any opportunity to make a real difference in the final stretch.”

Who is Cyndi Munson?

As the daughter of a single dad, Munson, 41, faced hardships growing up in Lawton. Her Army veteran father worked multiple jobs to support Munson and her sister.

She credits her teachers for helping her get to college. Munson went on to work for the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma before she pursued a role in state government.

She became the first Asian American woman elected to the Oklahoma Legislature. Oklahoma City voters elected Munson to represent them in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2015. She represents the 85th District, which also includes Nichols Hills and The Village. In the last two legislative sessions, Munson served as the Democratic leader in the House.

Munson described her issues in the House as supporting veterans, helping Oklahoma families, reforming the criminal justice system, getting people back to work after prison and holding insurance companies accountable.

On the campaign trail, she has pointed to her record of crossing the aisle, a political necessity in the Republicandominated House. Munson sponsored a bill in 2025 that increased the compensation to wrongfully convicted Oklahomans based on the number of years they were incarcerated. The measure, House Bill 2235, attracted Republican backers and became law.

Does Munson have a shot?

Munson believes she can resonate with traditionally conservative Oklahomans because of the commonground issues she’s targeting, such as affordability, and the change she’s pledging to bring to state government.

She has said she would redirect state spending to priority issues, including health care and education. She wants to increase the amount the state spends on each student. The state currently spends about $12,800 per student on education. Only four states spend less. Munson also wants to make sure students have enough access to mental health care and special education in schools.

She is quick to point to precedent set by Democratic governors in other red states.

Laura Kelley is serving her second term as governor in neighboring Kansas. Beshear, one of the most popular governors in the nation, also is serving his second term in Kentucky.

Beshear was successful because he kept showing up in front of Kentuckians, Hyers said.

“The way he says ‘You’ve got to get dirt in your boots,’ ” Hyers said, quoting Beshear.

Meeting voters in person is a key for Democratic candidates in red states such as Oklahoma, said Allyson Shortle, the director of graduate studies for political science at the University of Oklahoma.

“They have to consistently pound the pavement and continue this hard work of democracy if they have any shot of really rebuilding the Democratic Party in the state,” Shortle said.

Erin Brewer, the chairwoman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said she thinks some Oklahomans are frustrated enough to cross party lines when they cast their ballots. Brewer worked on Joy Hofmeister’s Democratic campaign for governor against Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2022. Hofmeister was the Republican state schools superintendent when she announced she was switching political parties to enter the race.

Stitt won reelection with 55% of the vote, defeating Hofmeister by13 points.

Brewer said that Munson is drawing bigger crowds than Hofmeister. Brewer sees an energy surrounding Munson’s campaign that Hofmeister lacked.

“Folks who maybe gave Joy a thought but couldn’t cross the aisle, maybe they’re in a different place today,” Brewer said. Shortle also cited Trump’s lagging approval ratings as a potential benefit to Munson. Mazzei has closely aligned himself with the president at a time when many Americans are unhappy with his policies.

“I don’t think it would cost him to lose an election, but I think it could cause a much tighter race than we’d ever expect in Oklahoma,” Shortle said about Mazzei’s ties to Trump. “Again, I don’t think that’s going to result in a Democratic win, but I think it will potentially result in a lot of Republicans staying home on Election Day.”

How are Republicans responding to Munson’s campaign?

Republicans have attacked Munson for her stances on so-called culture war issues, including her support for transgender and reproductive rights. At the presidential rally, both Trump and Mazzei framed Munson as a radical Democrat who was too liberal for Oklahoma.

Charity Linch, the chairwoman of the Republican Party of Oklahoma, said she doesn’t believe Oklahomans will get on board with Munson’s gayfriendly and abortion-rights stances.

“I don’t believe she poses a threat at all,” Linch said.

One issue shared by Munson and Mazzei is needing to raise money. Munson had $269,000 in cash on hand as of late August, and Mazzei reported $152,000.

Munson has disclosed raising about $500,000 more than Mazzei over the course of their campaigns, much of that through small donations. But Mazzei has injected more than $11 million of his own money into his campaign.

“There’s something to be said if you’re raising small-dollar donations,” said Michael Crespin, the director of the Carl Albert Congressional Research & Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma. “Those people are going to vote for you, as opposed to if you cut yourself a large donation, that’s one vote. Presumably you’re going to vote for yourself.”

Regardless of whether Munson secures her bid for governor, Shortle said that her campaign has created momentum that could propel the Democratic Party in Oklahoma and lead to greater successes in future elections.

“Again, it’s a mountain to climb,” she said.

“But, you know, it appears that there’s some lifeblood there still left, and there are people fighting, and I think Cyndi Munson is a really good example of that.”

“The DGA knows how to win in red states, and with Mike Mazzei struggling ... we are prepared to capitalize on any opportunity to make a real difference in the final stretch.”

Eric Hyers

Democratic strategist

Cyndi Munson was the only candidate who showed up for an Oct. 6 gubernatorial forum organized by St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.

DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN

Mike Mazzei speaks to supporters Aug. 25 at Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center in Tulsa after winning the GOP runoff election.

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN