The Republican gubernatorial candidate vowed during a March debate to veto “cash giveaways to foreign companies.” Two months later, he publicly endorsed a foreign-backed manufacturing project supported by a major state incentive program.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei is publicly backing Oklahoma’s proposed aluminum smelter project just two months after declaring during a gubernatorial debate that he would veto “any cash giveaways to foreign companies.”
Mazzei’s support for the Inola smelter has raised questions after his debate criticism of incentives for foreign companies because the project is being developed through a partnership involving Emirates Global Aluminium, a company headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, and is supported by a state-created incentive program designed to attract large-scale manufacturing investment.
During a March 30 gubernatorial debate hosted by Cedar Gate and the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus at the Oklahoma History Center, candidates were asked what types of legislation they would veto if elected governor.
“I will veto as Governor Mazzei any cash giveaways to foreign companies,” Mazzei said while discussing government spending and economic policy. View clip on YouTube.
Mazzei did not identify any specific company or project during the debate, and there is no public evidence he was referring to the proposed aluminum smelter in Inola.
However, on May 29, Mazzei enthusiastically endorsed the project in a Facebook post, calling it the type of investment Oklahoma should actively pursue.
“Projects like the aluminum smelter in Oklahoma are exactly the kind of project our state needs more of,” Mazzei wrote. “When I’m Governor, I will strongly support this project, and I will work with the Trump administration to bring more projects like it to Oklahoma. President Donald J. Trump is bringing jobs and investment to the USA and I HAVE HIS BACK.”
The proposed $4 billion smelter has been promoted by Governor Kevin Stitt and economic development officials as one of the largest manufacturing investments in state history. Developers say the facility would create approximately 1,000 permanent jobs, thousands of construction jobs and become the first new primary aluminum smelter built in the United States in nearly 50 years.
The project is also linked to a significant state incentive package.
In 2025, lawmakers passed and Gov. Stitt signed House Bill 2781, known as the Reindustrialize Oklahoma Act of 2025, creating a long-term investment rebate program designed to support large-scale manufacturing projects such as the Emirates Global Aluminium development.
Legislative leaders described the program as supporting the $4 billion aluminum smelter project and said qualifying manufacturers could receive performance-based rebates through 2045 if investment and job-creation benchmarks are met.
Supporters of the law argue it is not a traditional upfront subsidy because rebate payments are tied to investment and employment targets. Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton described the measure as a performance-based economic development tool that only provides incentives after companies meet specified benchmarks.
Even so, opponents of the smelter and its incentive package have pointed to Mazzei’s March debate comments and questioned how they align with his subsequent endorsement of a foreign-backed project receiving state support.
Others note that supporting a project is not necessarily the same as supporting every incentive attached to it.
Many conservatives favor private-sector investment and job creation while opposing taxpayer-funded subsidies and targeted economic-development incentives. Mazzei has not publicly explained whether he supports the incentive package created through House Bill 2781 or whether he would have signed the legislation had he been governor.
OKPoliticsToday contacted Mazzei’s campaign by phone and email seeking clarification about whether he supports the incentive package created under House Bill 2781 and how that position squares with his March pledge to veto “cash giveaways to foreign companies.” The campaign did not respond before publication.
That distinction could prove politically significant.
Mazzei’s recent comments leave little doubt that he supports the Inola smelter project. What remains less clear is whether he also supports the state incentive package tied to the development and, if so, how that position aligns with his earlier pledge to veto cash incentives for foreign companies.
The debate comes as organized opposition to the project continues in northeast Oklahoma, where residents and advocacy groups have raised concerns about potential environmental impacts, air quality and effects on nearby agricultural operations.
As the governor’s race continues, the Inola smelter is emerging as more than an economic-development issue. It has also become a test of how candidates balance taxpayer-funded incentives, foreign investment and the promise of new manufacturing jobs in Oklahoma.
