Leisa Mitchell Haynes recalls God told her in the third grade in Stillwater that she would be a governor. The Republican said she didn't start campaigning for the job, though, until 50 years later after speaking with an angel at Walmart in Choctaw in 2023. She is one of five Oklahomans who already are running for office in 2026 . Haynes, state Treasurer Todd Russ, two district attorneys and the president of Young Democrats of Oklahoma have registered with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission to raise money. Haynes, 60, is the former city manager of Rios Communities, New Mexico. She lives in Choctaw and said she now manages real estate properties. She has been a candidate before, running unsuccessfully for Oklahoma County clerk and Harrah mayor. On her current campaign, she reported spending $1,600 of her own money on the design of her website, $1,649 on flyers and $900 on hotel stays. Her potential opponents in the GOP primary election for governor include Attorney General Gentner Drummond, U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern and state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters. Each would get significant financial support from donors, and Drummond may put millions of dollars of his own money into the race, as well. "I may be the dark horse," Haynes said. "I may be the one that nobody knows. I'm not the career politician, and I'm not famous. But you're looking at one hard worker, and I'm going to be the governor." She said she was sitting in the Walmart auto area in August 2023 waiting for her car to be repaired when she struck up a conversation with a lady next to her. "And all of a sudden she says, 'If you're going to be a governor, what are you doing to get ready for it?' ... I smiled, because I'm thinking I didn't say anything to her. And I said, 'What do you mean?' And she said, 'Well, all you do is go to casinos.' And that's true. And I know I hadn't said that to her. And she said, 'Now is the time. Go home, write your plan and get started. Now is the time.' ... I got in the car, and I said, 'You know, Lord, right now, politics are very scary. They come after your friends, your family, your businesses. But if you want me to do this, I will be obedient.' "It definitely was an angel," she said of the encounter. "That was the first one. It shocked me." She said she has had other supernatural things happen to her since then, including a visit from another angel. She said she is writing a book about her experiences to encourage others. She has not reported any donations yet. "It will be coming in," she said. Russ, a Republican, was elected treasurer in 2022 after serving 12 years in the state House. The former banker registered with the Ethics Commission in September to raise money for his 2026 reelection effort. He then transferred $7,098 in donations from the 2022 campaign to his new campaign committee.
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