Harris' Past Anti-Fracking Position Seized Upon by GOP

As a 2019 presidential candidate, Kamala Harris pledged to ban fracking. Now Republicans are betting her opposition to the drilling technique will hurt her at the polls. 

In tweets and campaign memos, Republican are resurfacing Harris’ previous anti-fracking stance to paint her as out of touch with voters in politically important states such as Pennsylvania.

“Kamala Harris is even more extreme than Joe Biden - She wants to ban fracking and kill countless jobs in states like PA for American workers,” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X. 

A Harris spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but her campaign released a statement Wednesday highlighting Trump’s entreaties for $1 billion in donations from the oil industry, adding the move threatens to “sacrifice good paying jobs” that are driving an American energy and manufacturing boom.

“Under the Biden-Harris administration, America is more energy independent than ever,” said Harris for President spokesperson Joseph Costello. “Trump promises to dismantle all this progress and sell out America’s future for his own personal gain.”

During her brief primary run, Harris told a CNN town hall she opposed hydraulic fracturing, which involves pumping water, sand and chemicals underground to free oil and gas from dense rock formations, and has drawn vehement opposition from some green groups and progressive voters. 

“There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking,” Harris said at the 2019 candidate climate forum. As California’s attorney general, Harris also sued the Obama administration over the approvals of fracking off her state’s coast. Harris later moderated her views after being selected as Biden’s running mate, with the campaign emphasizing new restrictions and regulations for the technique instead.

There’s good reason fracking getting so much attention: Hydraulic fracturing is used to coax oil and gas out of roughly 95% of U.S. wells, according to government data. The extraction technique became a hot button issue during President Joe Biden’s 2020 run, who said on the campaign trail he supported a ban on fracking on federal land, but not nationwide.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is encouraging candidates to use her opposition to fracking as an example of her “extreme agenda,” according to a memo circulated a day after President Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t be seeking reelection and would be backing Harris instead. 

A new ad by Dave McCormick, who is running to unseat Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey did just that, highlighting a clip of Harris’ remarks in support of banning fracking along with support of the Green New Deal and other policies.

At the same time, Harris’ previous climate positions could help galvanize the Democratic party, driving turnout among younger progressive voters, said Mike Mikus, a Democratic political consultant. 

“These attacks don’t move voters, but what they do is motivate a lot of Democrats and environmentalists who want to address climate change,” Mikus said in an interview. “It motivates them to get involved and contribute.”

Still, Harris’ previous climate positions may not be “ideal proxies for her future choices,” ClearView Energy Partners, a Washington-based consulting firm wrote in a note to clients.

“We still do not expect Harris to propose significant changes to Biden’s energy agenda between now and the election,” the firm wrote. While the Trump campaign “seems likely to revisit Harris’ anti-fracking past, we think she has strong incentives to project a more balanced stance.”