Mazzei says his brother Dan Mazzei will serve as chairman of the transition team.
"We ran a lean, scrappy campaign with a small team," Mazzei said of what turned out to be the most expensive (and most self-funded) campaign this Oklahoma election totaling more than $16 million.
"Now it's time to build an administration of top-notch Oklahomans, efficiency experts, and subject matter experts who want to improve the lives of everyday Oklahomans," Mazzei said.But when reporters asked who else would help with the transition, he didn't say.
"We're not going to make any announcements about any personnel issues other than my brother," Mazzei said.
The governor-elect also lamented Republicans' national losses while commending Oklahomans for putting up a red wall against the blue wave.
"Republicans did so well in Oklahoma … because we were focused on everyday issues for everyday Oklahomans to make life more affordable and raise wages faster than the rate of inflation by creating great, high-paying jobs," Mazzei said.
While details about transitioning into office were sparse, he said conversations with legislative leadership about his first 100 days have already begun.
"It was a real blessing to have Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton at our event last night," Mazzei said of his election night watch party. "I spoke with Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert. We're already talking about how we can focus on the priorities that I just mentioned to make life better for everyday Oklahomans."
But Mazzei's optimism about working with Hilbert and Paxton has an Oklahoma Freedom Caucus-shaped shadow hanging over it. Right before the Capitol press conference, he was at a luncheon for the conservative Oklahoma think tank OCPAC, where Paxton's top legislative rival Sen. Shane Jett hyped him up.
Jett is the outgoing leader of the state's freedom caucus chapter, which has caused spurts of Republican in-fighting by deliberately voting against the interests of leadership, especially in the Senate.
Reporters were at the OCPAC luncheon before Mazzei booted them from the room to have what he thought was supposed to be an off-the-record chat with "friends and donors." The group's president, Bob Linn, and Jett, who invited several journalists to hear Mazzei, apologized for the incident.
In the end, Mazzei said he's excited to start working on the issues he promised Oklahomans he would address as Governor, but not before taking a beach-house vacation with his wife over the weekend, as he promised her.
