EXCLUSIVE — Former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall is leaning hard into culture war themes as he tries to close the gap in the state’s competitive Republican primary for governor.

The Washington Examiner obtained the first look at a new television ad from Charles McCall, which will blanket the Oklahoma City and Tulsa markets and air statewide on Fox News cable and streaming. In the spot, McCall delivers a blunt message, standing in a kitchen with a large knife and chopping a banana in half to underscore his point: “Cutting this banana does not make it an orange. Charles McCall, pro-Trump, anti-woke. Gender is God given, and there’s only two of them.”

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The ad comes as Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is also running for governor, faces scrutiny over his 2023 decision to enter an agreement with the ACLU to temporarily halt enforcement of Oklahoma’s ban on transgender operations for minors. McCall’s closing line, “I have a simple message for any lunatic pushing sex change for kids. You first,” appeared to be a veiled reference to that controversy.

The spot also arrives after Gov. Kevin Stitt’s office said it was blindsided by Drummond’s move, stressing that the agreement with the ACLU was not coordinated with the governor. Drummond’s office has defended the temporary stay as a way to buy time to mount a stronger legal defense.

McCall has long aligned himself with legislation targeting transgender issues in Oklahoma. As House Speaker, he helped steer two major measures to the governor’s desk: a 2023 law banning transgender surgeries and hormone treatments for minors, and a 2022 statute requiring public school students to use the bathroom corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificate.

Republicans have long used transgender-related matters as a political cudgel against Democrats, but the issue broke through with voters in 2024 and remains potent in GOP primaries. The Oklahoma Conservative Coalition, which is backing McCall with $1.6 million, is banking on the message resonating with Republican voters.

The ad’s timing coincides with new polling showing a razor-thin contest between the two candidates. A survey conducted by Stratus Intelligence from September 23–25 among 837 likely Republican primary voters found Drummond with 35% support and McCall at 33%, while 32% remained undecided.

 In a three-way ballot test including former state official Chip Keating, Drummond polled at 32%, McCall at 31%, and Keating at 6%. An expanded ballot with five candidates plus a “someone else” option showed Drummond at 29% and McCall at 27%, with other candidates in low single digits and nearly one-third of voters still undecided.

McCall has zeroed in on transgender issues in a series of recent ads. Earlier this month, he ran a spot highlighting his role in pushing legislation to bar transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports, declaring: “I led the charge to keep boys out of our daughters’ locker rooms and to protect women in sports.” The ad closed with McCall vowing, “You shouldn’t question where your next governor stands. I stand with President Trump.”

OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR BLINDSIDED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL’S AGREEMENT WITH ACLU TO HALT CHILD TRANSITION BAN

In addition to the ad blitz, McCall’s campaign launched a website on Sept. 9 called NeverTrumpDrummond.com. The website lists issues on which McCall argues Drummond has broken with the MAGA movement. 

Drummond’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.