Kamala Harris’s 2019 proclamation that she was against fracking could have jeopardized her chances of securing Pennsylvania’s crucial 19 electoral votes five years later. Pennsylvania is a key state in the Democrats’ Blue Wall strategy to prevent former President Donald Trump from staging an unprecedented political comeback. Many political analysts believe that whoever wins the Keystone State will also win the presidency.
An anonymous source reported that Harris backtracked on her position against fracking in July. The process of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is essential for American energy independence and bolsters Pennsylvania’s economy. This potential policy reversal may have come too late for Harris.
Emanuel Paris, a 31-year-old who works for his family’s construction firm with 400 employees, stated that Harris’s shift on fracking would lead him to vote for Trump. It’s not like we can just shut off everything else and switch to solar and wind,” Paris told the Washington Post.
Paris is one of many Pennsylvania voters who have been disillusioned by what they perceive as a potential alliance between Harris and supporters of the Green New Deal, a legislative package that aims to use global warming concerns as leverage to transform the U.S. economy into a socialist utopia.
Eliminating fracking would result in job losses and reduced state revenue. Approximately 2,000 landowners receive royalties from leasing their property to natural gas wells, according to estimates by the Marcellus Shale Coalition. These royalties are taxed and provide local municipalities with funding for public schools, police departments, and conservation projects.
Fracking has generated $3.2 billion in state and local tax revenue, the Washington Post reported, while royalty payments have exceeded $6 billion. Around 121,000 jobs in Pennsylvania are connected to fracking, an FTI Consulting study found in 2022.
Jeff Nobers, executive director of Pittsburgh Works Together, emphasized that Harris’s promise to ban fracking is still remembered by many. Whether she likes it or not, she said it, and that gets remembered,” he told the Washington Post. People are looking at whether companies will be willing to invest here, what they are willing to put into this industry. And you have your potential next president having taken that position as recently as the last election.
Nobers continued, “There’s already uncertainty with just what does she believe, what she would do? And if she doesn’t support a ban on fracking, what is her energy policy plan?” Others questioned why the Democrat party would target the livelihoods of so many. Banning fracking?” Smokin’ Steer BBQ owner Dave Hunter asked the Washington Post. Why would you ever be talking about that.
Sixty-four-year-old Bavington Roadhouse co-owner Ron Valenti said he refuses to vote a straight Democrat ticket. Back in the day I would just vote Democrat right down the ticket,” he told the Washington Post. Today? No.
Polling in Pennsylvania shows a tight race, with most surveys indicating that Harris holds a slight lead over Trump but within the margin of error. Like most elections, voter turnout in November will likely determine the outcome of this contest.