Missing in Action: GOP Candidate Mazzei's Absence from $4 Billion Police Pension Board Raises Accountability Questions

When Mike Mazzei was appointed to the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement Board in March 2023, his background looked solid. Twelve years in the state senate, experience as the governor’s budget secretary, and leadership of a financial planning firm managing $1.5 billion in assets. The pension board seemed like a natural fit for his expertise. The board oversees nearly $4 billion in retirement funds for Oklahoma’s police officers and handles critical decisions about member approvals, death benefits, and disability cases for injured officers. It’s important work that deserves focused attention.

But Mazzei has shown up to only ten of the last forty monthly meetings. That’s a 75 percent absence rate. More troubling: his attendance hit zero after he launched his gubernatorial campaign in April 2025. His campaign said he offered to resign but agreed to stay as an unpaid volunteer until a replacement could be found. Yet four months later, no replacement has been announced, and the governor’s office hasn’t responded to questions about whether Stitt plans to make a change. The lack of follow-up raises questions about oversight, especially when the board’s work directly affects our law enforcement officers and their families.

This story matters beyond politics. It touches on whether candidates can responsibly juggle campaign ambitions with existing public duties, and whether the state is properly managing oversight of positions that handle billions in public funds. Whether you’re supporting Mazzei or not, it’s fair to ask: should someone seeking the governor’s office be missing three out of every four meetings on a board managing police pensions? What accountability standards should we expect from candidates for statewide office?