Cyndi Munson, a Democrat and state representative from District 85, is running for Oklahoma governor in the Nov. 3 general election against Republican Mike Mazzei.

Asked why she is running, Munson said in our candidate questionnaire: "I believe that Oklahomans deserve better than where we are at as a state right now. It is simply unacceptable that we are at the top of every bad list and the bottom of every good list." She added that "Oklahoma is ready for leadership that brings people together, puts party politics aside, and gets to work on what actually matters."

Candidate information

Party: Democrat

Hometown: Munson was born in Monterey, California, and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma. She said in our questionnaire: "I grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma and was raised by my single father, a Vietnam War veteran."

Education: Munson said in our questionnaire: "I was the first in my family to attend college, as an Oklahoma's Promise recipient. I graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, followed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Master of Science in Leadership Education."

Family: Describing her upbringing, Munson said in our questionnaire: "Everyday, I watched him put on his uniform to serve his country in the morning, and deliver pizzas or work at convenience stores at night - always working multiple jobs to give my younger sister and me the best possible future. In my free time, I can be found spending time with my perfect and precious nephew, Jude."

Experience and public service

Munson became the first Asian American woman elected to the Oklahoma Legislature when she won a special election in September 2015, according to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She became House minority leader in 2022.

Asked about her work history, Munson said in our questionnaire: "My professional career began in the nonprofit sector, where I spent over a decade at the Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma, providing leadership programs for girls in low-income schools, juvenile detention centers, and public housing."

On the issues

Top priority — public education: Munson said in our questionnaire: "Public education is unequivocally Oklahoma's biggest issue and is critically at stake in this election … Fixing our public education crisis comes down to investing, and as Governor this looks like raising teacher and support staff pay, providing free school lunch and breakfast, expanding Oklahoma's Promise to veteran and public school employee families, increasing CareerTech opportunities, and repealing the private school tuition tax voucher."

Economy and cost of living: Munson said in our questionnaire: "I led the bipartisan effort to repeal the state sales tax on groceries and provided tax relief to everyday Oklahomans. As Governor, I would support a clean, simple minimum wage increase bill through the legislature."

Public safety: Munson said in our questionnaire: "I believe that preventive action is key in improving public safety and reducing crime, which is why mental health is a high priority of mine … I support protecting medicaid dollars for youth preventative treatment - to avoid minor mental health crises from escalating into criminal involvement."

Rural health care: Munson said in our questionnaire: "I will work to broaden access models, like telehealth networks, increase community paramedic/EMS coordination, expand rural scholarship programs, and utilize federal rural health funding. Specifically targeting rural care in surgery, OB/GYN, and psychiatry is especially important."

Tribal relations: Munson said in our questionnaire: "Oklahoma's tribal nations are our greatest friends and partners. As Governor I will work to heal the fractured relationships with the state, treating them as sovereign nations, with the respect and dignity they deserve."

Munson won the Democratic primary on June 16, 2026, with approximately 74.9% of the vote. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.