Eight Democratic Senate candidates are breaking ranks with President Barack Obama’s tepid opposition to the Keystone pipeline, according to the Hill.
Eight of the 18 non-incumbent Democrats running for Senate surveyed by The Hill either steadfastly support the pipeline or oppose it outright, breaking with Obama’s decision to reserve judgment on the project until federal regulators conduct a full review.
Republican Senate hopefuls have made the pipeline – which would carry oil sands crude from Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the Gulf Coast – a top campaign issue. The emphasis on the pipeline has forced many Democratic candidates to stake out a clear position on the project, whether they like it or not.
Obama blocked the pipeline, which is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs, in January, citing environmental concerns. But the president has straddled the line, refusing to state his outright opposition to the project. That is not good enough for some Democratic candidates.
Three Democratic candidates support the pipeline, including Heidi Heitkamp, who is hoping to replace retiring Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.). Heitkamp blasted Obama in January for rejecting the cross-border permit for the pipeline, which would run through North Dakota.