Stitt Says Small Donations Key To Funding Campaign

The Republican candidates for Oklahoma governor are in the final week of the primary runoff campaign.

It’s also a fundraising campaign, and candidate Kevin Stitt has a financial advantage because his business success makes him able to fund part of his own campaign.

Still tells supporters it gives him some independence.

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The Stitt campaign counts on events like a small group meeting with people willing to vote and donate money. Still held one of those events in Tulsa Tuesday night at the home of a family who said they were first-time donors, in any substantial way, to a politician.

“I have to go out there and raise my money, the maximum is $2,700 at a time,” Stitt said.

For candidates, it's a chance to deliver the standard talk about what they hope to do. And for Stitt, it's a chance to tell financial supporters he'll match their contributions with his own money.

“We're actually taking all of our contributions from smaller donations. So, we don't have a PAC or a dark money group that's going in and fighting battles for us or attacking our opponents,” he said. "I'm refusing to do that because I don't want the appearance I won't make the right decision for Oklahoma when I get there."

Stitt believes voters like that and believes it's important as he positions himself as the outsider going in to change how government works.

“Nothing is going to change if we keep electing the same people,” he said.

The latest reports show contributions of $6.5 million to the Stitt campaign, including his own money, and $3.2 million to the Cornett campaign.

News 9 and News On 6 will feature stories on the Stitt and Cornett campaigns leading up to the runoff election on August 28, 2018.