A second Colorado elected official has raised concerns regarding the potential merger between Kroger and Albertsons, which own and operate King Soopers and Safeway stores in the state respectively. 

Kroger announced the potential merger with Albertsons in October. The acquisition by Kroger carries a $24.6 billion price tag.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and a team of secretary of states filed a letter with the Federal Trade Commission opposing the merger, according to a Wednesday news release.

Six other secretaries joined her in letter of opposition. The secretaries, together, represent seven states with a total of 4,996 potentially affected stores, according to the letter.

They claim the merger would create a monopoly under the Kroger name, raising prices for the average consumer and local suppliers. 

“Once there is such consolidation in the market, many consumers will no longer have choice,” according to the letter. “Kroger-Albertsons will have no competitive incentive to bring down prices and – despite what Kroger-Albertsons’ claims – consumers will be powerless to hold the company accountable to promises of keeping prices low.”

Attorney General Phil Weiser announced a multistate investigation into the proposed merger and expressed concerns of rising prices. He said a resolution likely won’t come until late this year or early 2024, at a Colorado Springs town hall in July.

“The antitrust laws are very clear: If a merger substantially lessens competition or can tend towards a monopoly, it’s illegal, and I as Colorado’s attorney general, have the authority – and I would say the obligation – to go to court to stop such a merger,” Weiser said in the meeting.

“It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that corporate monopolies do not cheat hardworking Americans into paying artificially high prices, so executives and shareholders can line their own pockets,” according to the secretary of states’ letter.

In a response, a Kroger spokesperson said via email: “Kroger joining with Albertsons will mean lower prices and more choices for more customers in more communities, higher wages and more industry-leading benefits for associates, and growing union jobs.”

Kroger went on to say the only parties who would not benefit from the merger would be “large, non-unionized competitors such as Walmart and Amazon.”

The opposition letter points toward Kroger’s stated need to divest up to 400 stores, according to the terms of the merger, cutting employees drastically. They claim that it’s “likely” that lower-performing stores – often in lower-income areas – will be the first to get shutdown, exacerbating “issues of food accessibility and affordability that already exist.”

“Growing up working class, I understand first hand the tough decisions Americans are making every day to make ends meet,” Griswold said in a press release. “As Secretary of State, I will always stand up for the business owners and consumers in Colorado who deserve a fair shot at living the American dream.”