Aluminum Smelter Plan Splits Oklahoma GOP in Governor's Race

A plan to build the Western Hemisphere's largest aluminum smelter in rural Oklahoma has become the central fault line in the state's Republican gubernatorial runoff, pitting a Trump-endorsed candidate against an opponent who vows to block the project.

The August 25 runoff between former state Senator Mike Mazzei and Attorney General Gentner Drummond has crystallized around the proposed $4 billion facility in Inola, about 30 miles east of Tulsa. The project, which would produce 750,000 metric tons of aluminum annually, has received a $500 million grant from the U.S. Energy Department and is central to President Donald Trump's push to expand domestic minerals production.

Mazzei, who runs a Tulsa wealth management firm, has embraced the project since receiving Trump's endorsement in May. He has called the smelter a "national security imperative." Drummond, whose family operates a cattle ranch, has filed a lawsuit to block construction, citing concerns about air and water pollution and the impact on farmland.

"I'm not going to let it be built," Drummond said at a candidate forum. "We have to protect farmland."

The project has also stirred unease in Inola, a community of roughly 2,000 residents that calls itself the "Hay Capital of the World." The city council has imposed a moratorium on permits through September over concerns that emissions could harm livestock.

Trump has weighed in on Truth Social, criticizing Drummond for trying to "dethrone" a project that would be one of the best "ever conceived or built in the Great State of Oklahoma." Drummond insists he remains Trump's "biggest ally in Oklahoma" but is being criticized "for doing my job."

Political analysts say the issue could decide the race. Neither candidate cleared 50% in the June primary, forcing the runoff. The winner is heavily favored in November in a state where a Democrat has not won the governor's mansion in two decades.

"Politics certainly is behind Drummond's move," said Seth McKee, a political science professor at Oklahoma State University. "If he frames it right, he could win the governor's race on this issue."

At a June city council meeting in Inola, Assistant Energy Secretary Audrey Robertson was heckled by attendees who suggested an alternative location for the smelter: "Build it in Mar-a-Lago!"