American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2020 - 25

2020 Election Report

Despite Biden Victory,
Results Include Surprises
In Numerous States
By Bill Campbell
While there was much speculation
following Election Day about the likely
impacts of a Biden presidency, there were
two things about the Nov. 3 vote that appeared abundantly clear: The anticipated
" blue wave " failed to materialize; and
many producing states saw industry interests do quite well.
According to a variety of media and
association reports, most producing states
where Republicans held sway prior to
the election held onto-and in several
cases increased-their majorities.
West Virginia is a prime example,
where attorneys Spilman, Thomas &
Battle report, " A strong red wave engulfed
incumbents, swept away open seats and
cemented what may be durable majorities
in both chambers for years to come. "
According to the firm's Dome Report,
the Republican majority in the Senate
went up to 23-11 from 20-14 while the
House of Delegates saw Republicans defeat 10 incumbent Democrats on their
way to increasing a 59-41 edge to 76-24.
Governor Jim Justice-a former Republican who ran as a Democrat in 2016
before switching back to the Republican
Party seven months into his first term-was
re-elected, the Dome Report notes, as was
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who
has been active in federal courts defending
President Trump's regulatory initiatives.
West Virginia kept its congressional
delegation solidly red as well by reelecting Republican Senator Shelley Moore
Capito and Republican Representatives
David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Carol
Miller, the Dome Report adds.
Republicans also did well in the Appalachian states of Ohio, where the party
held onto majorities in the state legislature,
and Pennsylvania, where the Pennsylvania
Independent Oil & Gas Association says

Republicans gained four seats in the General
Assembly and were expected to maintain
their 28-21 advantage in the state Senate.
This is especially important in Pennsylvania, where Democratic Governor
Tom Wolf has pushed to tighten natural
gas industry regulations-including methane
emissions-and to impose a severance tax
on shale gas production, PIOGA notes.
" PIOGA is gratified that Republicans
have preserved their strong majorities in
both chambers of the general assembly
as a counterweight to many of Governor
Wolf's initiatives that would harm Pennsylvania's oil and natural gas industry, "
responds President and Executive Director
Dan Weaver.

gressman Roger Marshall defeated state
Senator Barbara Bollier by 14 points to
keep the seat held by retiring U.S. Senator
Pat Roberts in Republican hands, despite
national Democratic interests spending a
record $35 million in a vain attempt to
flip the seat their way.
Former Lieutenant Governor Tracey
Mann won Marshall's House seat to keep
it in Republican hands, the associations
report, while Republican state Treasurer
Jake LaTurner defeated Topeka Mayor
Michelle De La Isla for an open 2nd District seat to preserve Kansas Republicans'
3-1 balance of power in the U.S. House
of Representatives.
In another key congressional race, the

Republicans preserved strong majorities in
both chambers of the general assembly as a
counterweight to many of Governor Wolf's
initiatives that would harm Pennsylvania.
" However, " he cautions, " the governor
has shown he is perfectly happy acting
unilaterally when it comes to imposing a
carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program
on the commonwealth through regulations
and refusing to negotiate over muchneeded legislation such as creating a separate regulatory program for the conventional oil and gas industry. "
Plains-State Red
A little farther west, producer associations report similar results.
The Kansas Independent Oil & Gas
Association says that state saw Republicans increase their House majority to 8738 from 84-41 while maintaining an existing 29-11 edge in the Senate.
The Eastern Kansas Oil & Gas Association points out that Republican Con-

Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma says,
Republican state Senator Stephanie Rice
unseated freshman Congresswoman
Kendra Horn, despite the latter's criticism
of the Green New Deal. " The oil and
natural gas industry has become one
focus of this highly-contested race, with
both candidates claiming they are supporters of Oklahoma's defining industry, "
the Alliance observed in its pre-election
voters guide, although it noted Horn received a mere 20% on the Independent
Petroleum Association of America's " Lifetime Aligned Vote " score.
At the state level, the Alliance says,
Republicans maintained a 39-8 advantage
in the Senate and saw their House majority
swell from 77-24 to 82-19. Incumbent
Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett,
who was supported by its political action
DECEMBER 2020 25
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