The Latest: Drummond concedes primary runoff for Oklahoma AG

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Latest on Oklahoma’s primary runoff election (all times local):

3:25 p.m.

Tulsa attorney Gentner Drummond is conceding the Republican nomination for Oklahoma attorney general after a bruising runoff with incumbent Mike Hunter.

Drummond conceded Wednesday after unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary runoff election showed Hunter leading by fewer than 300 votes.

Drummond says he’s conceding “in an effort to bring unity to the Republican Party.” He said Tuesday that he would wait until provisional ballots were counted before deciding how to proceed.

State election board spokesman Bryan Dean said there were nearly 400 provisional ballots cast statewide and it’s unknown yet how many of those will be counted, or how many were cast in the GOP runoff.

Hunter advances to the Nov. 6 general election to face Democrat Mark Myles.

Drummond had criticized Hunter for using private attorneys in the state’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and called him a career lobbyist while Hunter called Drummond unfit and unethical.

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6:30 a.m.

A bruising Republican primary runoff in the race to become Oklahoma’s next attorney general was too close to call Tuesday night.

With nearly all votes counted late Tuesday, unofficial results show Attorney General Mike Hunter leading Tulsa attorney Gentner Drummond by fewer than 300 votes.

Tuesday’s primary runoff comes after a campaign that included a series of heated attack ads by both candidates.

Drummond criticized Hunter for using private attorneys in the state’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and called him a career lobbyist.

Hunter called Drummond unfit and unethical.

The winner will face Democrat Mark Myles in November.

Hunter was appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin to replace former Attorney General Scott Pruitt when Pruitt was named administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

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12:01 a.m.

A Tulsa mortgage company owner has won the GOP nomination in the race to become Oklahoma’s next governor, setting up a November contest in which education will undoubtedly be a top issue.

Kevin Stitt, a political newcomer, defeated former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett in Tuesday’s primary runoff after criticizing Cornett for being inadequately supportive of President Donald Trump. Stitt now advances to face Democrat Drew Edmondson, a former four-term state attorney general who has made improving the state’s education system a key plank of his campaign.

Republicans running for statewide office in Oklahoma have enjoyed dominating success at the ballot box in the last decade, but Democrats are pinning their hopes on Edmondson, a 71-year-old Vietnam veteran. Edmondson hopes to tap into voter frustration with the GOP Legislature exacerbated by this spring’s statewide teacher walkout.