Term-limited governor says attorney general’s legal challenge to proposed Inola aluminum facility is politically motivated as the development becomes increasingly entangled in Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday accused Attorney General Gentner Drummond of targeting a proposed aluminum smelter in Inola for political reasons, arguing the lawsuit came only after President Donald Trump endorsed Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
In a statement issued shortly after Drummond announced legal action challenging permits connected to the facility, Stitt suggested the attorney general’s opposition reflects campaign politics rather than environmental concerns.
“As soon as President Trump made his endorsement in the governor’s race, Drummond dropped the act and showed his true colors,” Stitt said.
The governor described the proposed facility as a major economic development effort that would strengthen domestic aluminum production and bolster America’s supply chain.
For more on Drummond’s lawsuit and the environmental concerns surrounding the proposed smelter, read OKPoliticsToday’s earlier report here.
Stitt, who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026, entered the dispute as the proposed smelter becomes increasingly intertwined with the race to succeed him.
Drummond’s lawsuit argues state regulators failed to adequately evaluate the facility’s environmental impacts before issuing permits. His office has framed the case as a matter of regulatory compliance, public health and environmental protection.
The governor, meanwhile, sought to connect the legal challenge directly to Trump’s recent endorsement of Mazzei.
Stitt offered no evidence Tuesday that Drummond’s position on the issue changed following Trump’s endorsement. Concerns about the proposed smelter’s environmental impact and local opposition to the facility have been public for months, and opposition from residents and some lawmakers has steadily grown this year.
The controversy has not been politically challenging only for Drummond. OKPoliticsToday previously reported on questions surrounding Mazzei’s support for the project after he criticized taxpayer incentives for foreign-owned companies during a gubernatorial debate, only to later embrace a development backed by Trump and involving a partnership with Emirates Global Aluminium.
The smelter has become a political test for Republican candidates navigating competing pressures from economic development interests, local residents concerned about environmental impacts and Trump’s support for the venture.
By linking the lawsuit to Trump’s endorsement, Stitt effectively positioned support for the facility alongside the former president’s influence in Oklahoma Republican politics, creating another point of contrast in the race to succeed him.
Tuesday’s exchange underscores how the proposed Inola smelter has evolved from an economic development project into a political fault line within the Republican primary, with candidates and their allies increasingly framing the debate through both environmental and electoral lenses.
