Citing a desire to target corruption and keep elected officials “in check,” former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Coffey became the first Democratic candidate to launch a 2026 campaign for attorney general of Oklahoma today.
“I left the [Department of Justice] to run for attorney general because corruption is running rampant through our elected offices,” Coffey said in a press release. “Throughout my career as a federal prosecutor, I spent my time taking down cartel leaders, violent prison gangs and mafia bosses. Oklahoma deserves an attorney general that will bring that same level of accountability to keeping politicians in check — I am ready to take on the role of Oklahoma’s top ranking law enforcement officer.”
Coffey, 34, attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated from the OU College of Law, publishing a law review note while there. After graduating, he worked at McAfee & Taft before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma. As an assistant U.S. attorney, Coffey prosecuted black market marijuana operations, drug and firearm offenses and members of the Irish Mob Gang, an Oklahoma-based prison gang.
Growing up, Coffey graduated from Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Oklahoma City, where he played football with Gabe Ikard. A former NFL player, radio host and childhood friend of Coffey’s, Ikard endorsed his campaign in a “rare political post.”
“Nick Coffey is my oldest friend. Lived on the same street our entire childhood. Kindergarten-college together. Countless experiences [with] him. He’s the type of person we need leading in Oklahoma. Diligent, incredibly intelligent [and] has a great moral compass,” Ikard tweeted. “He’s also one of the most competitive people I know. We need leaders in this state that want to make Oklahoma the best version of itself. I don’t care what party he runs under…he’ll have my vote.”
Two Republicans have already launched campaigns for attorney general: former Oklahoma House Rep. Jon Echols (R-OKC) and Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment Jeff Starling. Echols was the longest-serving House majority floor leader in state history, spending eight of his 12 years in the Legislature in the position. A Virginia native, Starling is an attorney who has worked for Devon Energy and other energy companies in Oklahoma before Stitt appointed him secretary of energy last year.
Coffey becomes the first Oklahoma Democrat to announce a campaign for attorney general. Oklahoma Democrats did not field a candidate for attorney general in 2022, making Coffey the first member of his party to seek the state’s top law enforcement office since 2018. While it is unclear whether another Democrat will join the race, there has not been a Democratic primary for attorney general since 1994, which ultimately led to the election of Drew Edmondson.
Coffey promises crackdown on ‘corruption and grifting’
Coffey’s campaign announcement focused on promises to address public corruption in the state and implied light criticism of Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s time in office. Drummond is running for governor instead of seeking reelection in 2026.
“As attorney general, I’m going to protect Oklahoma families, defend constitutional freedoms and deliver justice. I’m going to root out the corruption and grifting running rampant among our state officials,” Coffey said. “I will be the people’s lawyer, I won’t use this position as a political stepping stone. This will be a new type of campaign: one built on service for everyday Oklahomans.”
While Coffey’s reference to a “political stepping stone” may be a thinly veiled criticism of Drummond’s tenure, Coffey’s advocacy for using the AG’s office to crack down on public corruption aligns with Drummond’s stated philosophy about the role.
After former Garfield County District Judge Brian Lovell pleaded guilty to one count of “using a vehicle to facilitate the discharge of a firearm,” Drummond said the Attorney General’s Office needs to take the lead on cases around Oklahoma involving public officials, something recent attorneys general had not routinely done.
Since taking office, Drummond has assumed control over the criminal cases filed against Lovell, former Rep. Terry O’Donnell (R-Catoosa), former Rep. Ty Burns (R-Morrison), and Kay County Commissioner Shane Jones. Drummond dismissed the case against O’Donnell, despite calling him “guilty.” Both Burns and Lovell pleaded guilty in their cases, while Jones’ case is ongoing.
Campaigning on cleaning up corruption is a well-trodden path in Oklahoma politics. The state’s shortest tenured governor, John “Jack” Walton, saw his tenure cut short for declaring martial law to combat Ku Klux Klan influence in the state, while Oklahoma’s first Republican attorney general, G. T. Blankenship, made a name for himself revealing corruption among Oklahoma’s Supreme Court justices.
