Representative. John CurtisUtah’s pursuit of the Senate seat is notable for one of the groups lining up on its side — a major national climate organization.
Curtis, who founded the House Conservative Climate Caucus, won the endorsement of EDF Action, the advocacy partner of the Environmental Defense Fund, one of the most influential green groups in the country. This comes at a time when other green activists are lining up — as environmental groups more commonly do — on the Democratic side of the race.
From him 17-point victory over a rival backed by Donald Trump in the Republican Party primary in June, put the four-term House member on a flat path to fill the seat being vacated by the retiring senator. Mitt Romney. And it exposed a divide in the traditionally Democratic-leaning environmental community over how to respond to GOP lawmakers who support action to combat climate change despite the party’s overwhelming priority on promoting fossil fuels.
Curtis, a heavy favorite to win the general election in November, could be in a position to provide a crucial GOP vote against the gutting of President Joe Biden’s energy and climate policies during a second Trump administration. He voted against Biden’s massive climate law but said he supports parts of it and rejected calls for a full repeal.
Unlike many other politically active environmental groups, EDF Action has often supported moderate Republicans or partnered with companies that other green activists avoid. But Curtis was the first Republican he supported in this year’s primary, said the group’s president, David Kieve, former national director of climate and conservation engagement in the Biden White House, adding that he spent $100,000 on a radio campaign to support you.
EDF has a history of “looking for opportunities to support good Republicans who align with us on many of our issues,” Kieve said, calling Curtis’ engagement on climate issues “authentic” and “results-oriented.”
And he argued that it would be practical for EDF to get involved to ensure the defeat of more right-leaning candidates — especially since Utah’s Senate seat will almost certainly remain in Republican hands. The state has not sent a Democrat to the House since 1970.
In an interview, Curtis said he was “grateful” for EDF Action’s support, although he has not sought the group’s support and is not “100 percent” aligned with their positions.
“I play with some people, I’m their worst alternative,” Curtis said. “And so, if I’m EDF’s least-worst alternative, people should recognize that that is what it is.”
Another major green group — the Conservation League Voters’ Action Fund — supported Curtis’ general election opponent, Democratic candidate Caroline Gleich, an environmental activist and professional ski mountaineer. The group will dedicate resources to defeating Curtis, despite him being the favorite to defeat Gleich, who has never held elected office.
Craig Auster, vice president of political affairs at the LCV Action Fund, said it’s a mistake to distinguish Curtis from other Republicans, given his votes against Democrat-led climate initiatives — particularly the Inflation Reduction Act.
Curtis received 6 percent environmental group lifetime scorealthough that number has risen to a high of 16 percent in 2022.
“What he’s saying doesn’t match his voting record. Voting against the IRA – the biggest climate action ever taken – is not pro-climate,” said Auster.
Kieve acknowledged Curtis’ weak support for environmental measures in Congress, but said Republican alternatives in Utah were much worse.
“I don’t want to go through your voting record line by line,” Kieve said. “But the Senate would be much better served with John Curtis there than with his extreme MAGA opponent.”
Despite the involvement of national green groups, Curtis’ position on climate issues was not a major factor in the primaries, which were dominated by economic issues and immigration.
Utah Republicans often reject far-right candidates in favor of moderates like Curtis and Romney.
His views on climate change contrast sharply with those of the state’s other senator, Mike Leeone of the most outspoken critics of climate science in the Senate, who seems prepared to lead party on powerful Energy and Natural Resources Committee – possibly as president if Republicans gain control of the Senate.
Curtis has previously defended his decision to support the Republicans in voting against the IRA, criticizing Democrats for using the partisan reconciliation process this allowed them to pass it with a simple majority in the Senate.
He notes that he supported individual pieces of the broad climate bill, such as tax incentives for carbon capture, nuclear and hydrogen projects. And Curtis rejected calls from Trump and other Republicans to repeal the lawrecognizing that GOP states and districts are reaping the benefits of this in the form of tens of billions of dollars in planned investments by companies in renewable energy projects, batteries and electric vehicles.
Curtis, in the interview, also dismissed the significance of the LCV’s opposition to him, suggesting that the group’s decision is representative of his partisan leanings.
“I’ve become so comfortable with my message that if there are some groups that don’t like it… that’s great,” Curis said. “What I discovered is that the most thoughtful people don’t get there. And the more thoughtful you are, the more influence you will have to bring about this [climate change] be a nonpartisan issue and make progress.”
On the trail, Curtis defended his involvement in climate issues by arguing that Republicans would not have the platform to compete with Democratic policies that he said would lead to the end of fossil fuels – which are still dominant in his district and state despite greater awareness among voters about warming. impacts.
“It didn’t become the focal point of the campaign,” Curtis said.
That means some observers — including other Republicans in Congress active on climate issues — were cautious in drawing conclusions from Curtis’s primary victory.
“I don’t know if I can read too much into this,” the congressman said. Friend Carter (R-Ga.), vice chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus.
Representative. Garret’s Graves (R-La.), who recently announced he will not run for reelection after serving as a ranking member of the Democrats’ Select Committee on the Climate Crisis in 2019, noted that Curtis already has a firmly established reputation in Utah that has served him well.
“John is a very thoughtful guy, someone who really digs into issues, tries to figure out what is the right thing to do — in some cases, leaving aside the political implications,” Graves said. “There are obviously much broader issues that affect this state [other than climate change].”
Representative. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), a colleague of Curtis’s on the House Natural Resources Committee, said he was “pleased” to see Curtis defeat far-right candidates in the primary.
“Curtis is, by the standards of the modern Republican Party, the best there is,” Huffman said.
But he’s skeptical that other Republicans will draw conclusions from Curtis’ success as they lean into climate action.
“I don’t think anyone can interpret this as a big thaw in climate denial. It’s still present in the Republican Party ecosystem,” Huffman said.
