In this year’s race for a U.S. Senate seat, one candidate is trying to differentiate himself among Republican primary candidates by opposing carbon capture and sequestration.
Incumbent State Treasurer John Fleming, a Minden native, hopes to rally to block carbon storage projects across the state and align himself with opponents of the technology in rural areas where such projects are planned or proposed. A number of legislative measures have been proposed to require local approval to drill the wells needed to store carbon dioxide underground, but have so far failed. Mr. Fleming attended the hearing in support of them.
“I think this is very bad technology, wasteful and dangerous,” Fleming said in an interview. “I don’t think anyone except people who are trying to make a lot of money think this is a good idea.”
Carbon capture and storage projects have created a unique rift within Louisiana’s Republican Party. Two years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency gave state authority to permit and regulate wells drilled to permanently store carbon dioxide underground. The Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy currently oversees permitting for these types of wells, and as of December had a list of 31 applications for carbon storage projects across the state.
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Fleming’s anti-carbon sequestration stance puts him at odds with the powerful petrochemical industry, making it a unique strategy in his campaign to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy. He is also running without the much-needed support from President Donald Trump, despite his role in his first administration. Instead, President Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow (R-Baton Rouge).
Fleming said Governor Jeff Landry The reason behind the president’s nomination of Mr. Leslow During the Senate campaign, the governor argued that fabricated And it’s proof that Fleming “may not be suitable for public office.”
Robert Collins, a political analyst and professor of urban studies at Dillard University, said he doubted Fleming’s approach would be successful against the incumbent and Trump favorite.
“I don’t get it,” Collins said, noting that rural parishes have been more vocal in their opposition to carbon capture projects than urban areas.
“It might help in certain dioceses. But again, I don’t think it’s a broad enough issue, at least for now,” he says. “No one is talking about carbon capture in New Orleans.”
At first glance, Mr. Fleming’s political path to the Senate race appears to set him apart from his competitors. He is a physician who completed his training in family medicine while serving in the United States Navy, earning the rank of lieutenant commander. After a career as a doctor, Fleming ran for Congress and served four terms as a representative from northwest Louisiana from 2009 to 2017.
During the first Trump administration, Fleming was appointed assistant secretary of commerce and then White House chief of staff. He used that experience to campaign for a statewide position, becoming Treasurer in January 2024.
Historically, Louisiana treasurers who have aspired to higher office, such as John Neely Kennedy and Mary Landrieu, have assigned their jobs to U.S. Senate seats and operated on the back of fiscal issues. But Fleming has made opposition to carbon capture and sequestration a central part of his campaign.
Mr. Collins said Mr. Fleming is a clear underdog since losing President Trump’s support and needs to differentiate himself from his competitors, and he is trying to differentiate himself on the issue of carbon capture and storage in Louisiana.
Fleming said he continues to support industries such as oil and gas, but is taking a hard line on carbon capture and sequestration projects because he believes there is not “enough research” into human-induced climate change to justify the need to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“Are they doing it for our environment? No,” Fleming said in an interview. “They traditionally don’t worry about releasing carbon into the atmosphere at all. They just see this as another profit center that they can add to their wealthy income stream.”
Cassidy has taken a more nuanced position on carbon storage infrastructure, advocating for local approvals for all projects, but has said nothing about wiping out the technology entirely.
“Decisions regarding carbon capture should be made at the local level,” Cassidy said through a spokesperson. “Leaders and residents who know their communities best have the right to decide how these projects move forward.”
In a statement through his campaign, Letlow said he fully supports Governor Landry’s moratorium on construction of new carbon storage wells and said community support for these projects is essential. But she stopped one step short of opposing the development.
“If a project is unsafe, lacks transparency, or lacks community support, it should not move forward,” Letlow said in a statement.
So far, a state bill that would require local votes on carbon capture and storage has not moved forward.
Collins said Fleming’s strategic approach to separating himself from deep-pocketed and powerful political forces in the Senate race is a “start,” but it’s not enough to win the election.
“Fleming will have to find other problems besides carbon capture to differentiate itself from Letlow and Cassidy,” Collins said.
As of early April, Cassidy had raised more than $6.46 million, compared to Letlow’s $3.91 million. Fleming’s campaign reported $3.74 million, all but about $600,000 of which he loaned himself.
Political action committees affiliated with Mr. Cassidy have raised more than three times as much money as PACs supporting Mr. Letlow, while PACs supporting Mr. Fleming have raised a fraction of the money.
Mr. Fleming has positioned himself as the “only true conservative” in the Republican primary, as Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Letlow tout each other’s voting records. Mr. Cassidy has been relentless in his attempts to portray Mr. Letlow as a liberal, hoping to appeal to MAGA voters who are still angry about his vote to convict Mr. Trump in 2021 for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“MAGA has never forgiven Cassidy,” Collins said, adding that Trump likely felt that way. Ms. Lelow has wide appeal as a young female Republican.
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