The Two Races Most Likely to Determine Control of the Senate

The outcomes will shape environmental policy in the new Congress.

To keep control of the Senate, Democrats must hold on to the White House and two Senate seats in red states.  If Republicans win in Ohio or Montana, they are virtually guaranteed to flip the Senate, with important consequences for environmental policy.  Here are the candidates in these key races and their views on energy and climate, in their own words.  Only one of the candidates emphasizes environment or energy issues in the form of Republican Tim Sheehy’s full-throated celebration of fossil fuels.  But there is no doubt that like their national parties, these candidates are far apart on environmental issues.

Ohio: Brown v. Moreno.

Sherrod Brown (D).

Brown has a lifetime League of Conservation Voters score of 94%, but his campaign website does not directly address energy or environmental issues.  It stresses his support for U.S. manufacturing. “Sherrod is making sure that the next generation of American made vehicles are built in Ohio, by Ohio workers, in good-paying union jobs. He successfully fought for Lordstown battery plant workers to be included in the national UAW contract to make sure they have the union benefits and are paid the wages they deserve. Sherrod also helped auto manufacturing facilities keep jobs in Ohio.”

Bernie Moreno (R).

Opening the campaign website leads immediately to an endorsement quote from Donald Trump.   Among Moreno’s priorities are:

• “Massively reduce anti-growth regulations, cut government spending, and end inflation”
• “Restore American Energy Independence”
• “Allow free markets to work”

These add up to a strongly anti-regulatory agenda and enthusiastic support for fossil fuels. Moreno has posted:  “The whole point of the Biden-Sherrod Brown Green New Deal agenda is to force Americans into electric cars that they don’t want, by making gas-powered cars too expensive to afford.  Ultimately, these radicals want to bankrupt America’s oil and coal economy.”

The Ohio Senate race is considered a toss-up at this point, so it’s anyone’s guess whether the Democrats will be able to hold this seat. 

Montana: Tester v. Sheehy.

Jon Tester (D).

Tester has a 89% LCV score. His website stresses his support for Inflation Reduction Act funding for clean water . It strongly touts his support for protecting public lands. He also highlights opposition to Biden on some issues: “Jon knows that Montana’s farmers and ranchers don’t have time to waste when they’re growing food, so when the Biden administration added burdensome “climate disclosure” paperwork for producers, Jon put a stop to it.”

Tim Sheehy (R).

Like Moreno, Sheehy’s website also highlights his Trump endorsement. Sheehy also expresses support for public lands and calls for ensuring access to fishing, hunting, and recreation. He also opposes limits on logging: “We also need to stand strong against the radical environmentalists who are suing and shutting down timber projects with frivolous litigation. If we can responsibly manage our forests, we can harvest timber, create high-paying jobs, and reduce the threat of wildfires.”

Sheehy places more emphasis than the other candidates on energy and deregulation:

“We must repeal the new EPA job-killing energy regulations and mandates that the Democrats put on our economy that are driving up costs and preventing us from being energy independent . . . We must also take a strong stand against the disastrous socialist Green New Deal that would destroy Montana’s economy and jobs and devastate our communities.”

“It’s time to make America energy independent and dominant once again. We can power America’s resurgence with the greatest form of energy known to man, our God given natural resources. We are blessed here with abundant coal, minerals, timber and grasslands – let’s make sure Montana producers come first.”

The Montana Senate race was initially considered a toss-up, but commentators are now seeing it as starting to lean Republican.  Unless Tester is able to reverse that movement, Democrats will lose Senate control unless they are able to score an upset somewhere else.  As I wrote in an earlier post, there seems to be some chance that this could happen in Nebraska. Some polls in Texas  aren’t looking good for Ted Cruz, but the odds are still clearly in his favor.  Thus, at this point, Democrats clearly have an uphill battle at this point to keep control of the Senate. 

2024 elections, climate change. climate politics, Climate Politics, environmental politics