Mike Mazzei
OKLAHOMA CITY –
Gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei explained to News 9 and News On 6 why he changed his stance on the controversial Inola Aluminum smelter project.
Key Takeaways
- Mike Mazzei said he opposed financial problems related to the smelter, but agreed with the project after research.
- Drummond believes Mazzei switched his views on the aluminum smelter to get an endorsement from Trump in the Oklahoma governor’s race.
- Trump showed continued support for Mazzei in a newly released video to News 9 and News On 6.
- Many Inola residents oppose the project despite the jobs it could bring to states.
Mazzei’s history of opposing Inola Smelter
In March of 2026, Oklahoma Watch reported that Mazzei criticized the tax incentives the state provided to EGA, and said that Oklahoma Primary Aluminum is a majority-owned company based in the United Arab Emirates.
In a forum hosted by News 9 and News On 6 on April 6, 2026, Mazzei again criticized financial incentives for foreign companies and said his priority was to collaborate with Oklahoma-based businesses.
“We need to stop forking over all this money to foreign countries and instead collaborate with Oklahoma-based small businesses in every county,” he said.
By the end of May, Mazzei’s opinion of the smelter switched.
Mazzei says he supports Inola smelter
The same day President Donald Trump endorsed him for Oklahoma’s primary election, Mazzei announced his stance on the proposed smelter had flipped.
The gubernatorial candidate told News 9 and News On 6 said he believes the smelter would be a huge economic opportunity for Oklahomans.
“It’s ultimately going to create 10,000 jobs,” Mazzei said.
Mazzei also said building this smelter would help Oklahoma’s defense and security programs.
“And it’s an important priority because of national security. Currently, we import 80% of aluminum,” he said. “We need it for our military; we need it for our defense program.”
Mazzei cited learning new information as one of the reasons for his change in stance. He said financial issues related to getting the smelter built were his original concerns.
“I was never concerned about the plant itself,” he said. “Fortunately, I did more homework as the financial guy would do, and eventually, learned about the total potential jobs surrounding it.”
RELATED: Trump continues to endorse Mike Mazzei; what it means for the governor’s race
On Tuesday, in a video provided to News 9 and News On 6, by the Mazzei campaign, Trump applauded Mazzei’s support of the aluminum smelter project.
Drummond accuses Mazzei of changing stance for endorsement
Oklahoma Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Gentner Drummond has accused Mazzei of changing his stance on the proposed smelter to get an endorsement from the president.
In an interview with News 9 and News On 6, Drummond, who is against the project, said Oklahomans don’t want this project.
“I’ve gone to Inola and visited Rogers County. They do not want this pollutant in their area. Oklahomans across the state don’t want to give 350 acres to a Muslim monarchy,” he said.
He also claimed that this will hurt Oklahoma’s hay industry, and it is too close to where people live.
“The hay capital of Oklahoma will be the desert of Oklahoma; they won’t be able to produce hay, Drummond said. “The Arabs don’t even let a human live within 10 miles of their smelter in the UAE. We have Inola three miles away.”
Why is Inola Smelter controversial?
Concerns over foreign ownership, potential environmental impacts and health concerns are the main reasons many oppose this project.
In a petition to block the project, Drummond said,
“The controlling hand behind the largest smelter ever proposed on American soil belongs not to Oklahomans, nor even to Americans, but to a foreign sovereign more than 7,000 miles away.”
MORE: Inola residents voice concerns over proposed aluminum plant at city council meeting
The AG’s office said the facility would be majority-owned by a state-owned enterprise of the United Arab Emirates.
In a council meeting in Feb. 2026, Inola residents spoke out against the smelter.
“We do not need a foreign country to own something that they really don’t care whether we live or die,” one speaker told councilors.
Residents also said they were told about the project too late.
“This was brought to us at the bitter end,” said Brian Hill, an Inola resident of 15 years. “We did not even know who was coming, where it was going to go, or any of this information.”
