The outcome of Oklahoma’s Republican gubernatorial primary runoff on Aug. 28, 2018, directly impacted the prospects for a proposed aluminum smelter in the state. Candidate Kevin Stitt, who expressed support for the project, won the nomination over Mick Cornett. The development of the facility, proposed by Century Aluminum, was contingent on federal trade policy and state-level support, which became a subject of debate during the campaign.
The project in question is a proposed high-tech aluminum smelter that Century Aluminum announced it would consider building following the implementation of federal tariffs on imported aluminum. According to company statements at the time, the facility would represent a significant investment and was projected to create hundreds of jobs in the state.
The viability of a new domestic smelter was linked to a trade action taken by the Trump administration earlier that year. In March 2018, the administration imposed a 10% tariff on most aluminum imports, citing national security concerns under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The stated goal of the tariff was to protect and encourage the expansion of the domestic aluminum industry, which had seen a decline in production over several decades.
Century Aluminum CEO Michael Bless stated in company communications that the tariffs were a critical factor in making new domestic production economically feasible. However, the company also noted that any new smelter would require a competitive long-term power agreement from the state, a point that brought the issue into the gubernatorial race.
During the primary runoff campaign, the two Republican candidates presented different approaches to the proposed project. Kevin Stitt, a businessman, aligned his position with the project’s potential for economic growth and job creation, viewing it as a key industrial opportunity for Oklahoma.
His opponent, then-Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, expressed more caution. While not opposing the project outright, Cornett raised questions about the potential scale of state-provided financial incentives and subsidies that might be required to secure the facility and its long-term power contract.
Following the Aug. 28 runoff, Stitt secured the Republican nomination with over 54% of the vote, according to results from the Oklahoma State Election Board. His victory was seen by project supporters as a positive step for the smelter’s future in the state. The general election, which would determine the next governor, was scheduled for November 2018. The final decision on the smelter remained dependent on a combination of market conditions, regulatory approvals, and the negotiation of a power agreement with state entities.
