In June 2023, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved an application for St. Isidore of Seville, the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school. The Republican Governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, was quick to praise the decision, lauding it as “a win for religious liberty and educational freedom.” This decision by the school board, however, generated intra-party controversy.
Democrats like State Representative Mickey Dollens were quick to voice their opposition to the charter school, calling the decision an unconstitutional attempt to force state-funded “religious indoctrination.” In shocking agreement, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond—a Republican—filed a lawsuit against the board, attempting to overturn its approval of St. Isidore. This issue has caused quite the political shakeup within Oklahoma politics, as reactions to the school clearly do not fall neatly along partisan lines. The battle over St. Isidore highlights a growing conflict among Oklahoma Republicans in which factions of the party are vying for control over the future of the state.
In the current political environment, Oklahoma is effectively a one-party state. Republicans have held a supermajority in both chambers of the state legislature for over a decade, along with complete control of the executive branch. With no denying which party holds a hegemonic upper hand, Oklahoma Republicans can only point their fingers at each other when the public seeks someone to blame for the dire state of public education. Republicans seeking higher office in the state, therefore, have had to carve out different lanes within the party to demonstrate how they differ from the current conservative status quo. These divisions within the party have led to increasing amounts of conflicts on the national stage. The comparatively moderate, pro-business wing of the party—led by Attorney General Drummond and House Speaker Charles McCall—is leading a resistance against the more populist, culture-war-focused faction—led by Governor Stitt and State Superintendent Walters.
St. Isidore is just the latest in a string of conflicts between Stitt’s administration and Attorney General Drummond—despite being members of the same party. Drummond argued that the charter violated the state’s constitution; the State Supreme Court concurred soon after, writing that the implementation of the school could lead to “the destruction of Oklahomans’ freedom to practice religion without fear of governmental intervention.” While Drummond praised the court’s verdict, Governor Stitt and State Superintendent Ryan Walters denounced the ruling on grounds of religious discrimination. Both Walters and Stitt openly supported taking the case to the US Supreme Court, and an appeal to the Court has been granted for the upcoming term.
To be clear, Drummond, Stitt, and Walters are all staunch conservatives who align themselves with President Donald Trump on many national issues, including the President’s plans for mass deportations and restrictions on transgender rights. The divide between the two factions, however, has come to a head on state-specific issues. In 2022, Drummond defeated John O’Connor, Stitt’s appointed Attorney General, marking the beginnings of their contentious relationship. The next year, in July of 2023, Drummond joined Republicans in the Oklahoma Legislature in suing Stitt, accusing him of violating the law when negotiating tribal gaming compacts. Returning fire in March 2024, Stitt and members of his cabinet sued Drummond—a response to Drummond issuing an opinion stating one of Stitt’s appointees from simultaneously serving as the head of three separate transportation organizations. Now, the growing chasm between Drummond and the Stitt administration has arrived at the steps of the United States Supreme Court.
When Attorney General Drummond released a grand jury report criticizing State Superintendent Walters for mismanaging federal education funds, multiple House Republicans called for his impeachment, critics who Walters dismissed as “liberal Republicans” who ally with “the left.” Against the backdrop of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, efforts by Drummond and Walters to carve out a unique lane within the Republican party come into clearer focus. Drummond announced in January 2025 his candidacy for governor, and Ryan Walters—who has spent the last two years attempting to build his national profile—appears primed to follow suit. While both agree on many standard Republican policies, education seems to be the issue around which the two factions are seeking to differentiate themselves, and St. Isidore marks the first major test to see which side will prevail. However, it will not be the last.
With Governor Stitt unable to run for reelection in 2026, the state’s highest office is up for grabs, and the policy stakes are high. Even beyond allegations of corruption and misuse of pandemic-era funds under the Stitt administration, Oklahoma must contend with a record teacher shortage, a growing mental health crisis, and balancing the climate crisis with the state’s economic reliance on the oil and gas industry. Furthermore, the 2026 elections will determine who represents Oklahoma in the nation’s capital, staking Oklahoma’s claim in the larger, national divide within the Republican party.
As the fight over the nation’s first publicly-funded charter school makes its way to the Supreme Court, and as Oklahoma politicians continue to position themselves for future elections, Oklahoma voters are faced with a choice between two different visions of the state’s future. Will the state favor the Republican party’s pro-business wing, focused primarily on fiscal conservatism, or its populist wing, focused on culture war issues and Christian nationalism? The future of Oklahoma politics depends on which side of the Republican party wins this conservative civil war, but the victor has still yet to be determined.