ROGERS COUNTY, Okla. — GOP runoff voters in the solid red state of Oklahoma made their decision Aug. 25 by a .6% margin. For Inolans fighting against a planned $4 billion aluminum smelter, it spells disappointment.
Mike Mazzei is now favored in November for the governor's mansion ahead of Democrat Cyndi Munson and Independent Robert Brooks.
Most of the vocal Inolans 2 News has previously listened to, however, favored Gentner Drummond for the Republican nomination. He already filed an injunction as state attorney general earlier this month to halt the project that Pres. Trump and current governor Kevin Stitt champion.
- Previous coverage>>> Oklahoma AG: Proposed smelting project 'doesn't belong' in Inola
“He outlined exactly the concerns that we've been seeing for months now about the emissions, the pollutants, the foreign ownership," Chris Roam of Protect Inola said on Aug. 26. "So he demonstrated a clear understanding of the issues."
While the runoff is now over, Roam and other members of the new "Rogers County Grassroots Coalition" now plan to submit signatures for a grand jury petition in a Rogers County court.
"It's a grand jury petition to review the deals that were made enclosed doors and under the table, and to investigate the open meetings act for both the data center and the smelter," the coalition's Casey Jones told 2 News. "We have to obviously have them submitted today so we can verify and validate them (on Aug. 27)."
One of Mazzei's campaign platforms is to get rid of foreign land ownership. However, the smelter project is a partnership with Emirates Global Aluminum of United Arab Emirates.
2 News contacted the Mazzei campaign Aug. 26 asking for an update to his position on the smelter project but has not received a response.
"This has become the issue for me," Inola resident Maureen McKinley said. "He has to oppose the smelter. He needs to oppose foreign ownership of a smelter in Inola.”
“We are optimistic that as more Oklahomans learn of this imminent threat (aluminum developers) want to put in Inola, they will stand with us," Roam said.
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