- Utah GOP Rep. John Curtis, who splits with many on the right on the issue of climate change, has received thousands of campaign donations from green energy donors, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
- Curtis recently jumped into the race for outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney's seat in 2024 after initially opting out of that bid, adding to a crowded Republican primary field.
- “The voters of the Republican primaries [sic] he will have the option of choosing someone as a candidate who is more like the senator. [Mike] Lee, who I would say is a true conservative, or more like Sen. [Mitt] Romney, who has never been very conservative, especially on these issues,” Tom Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Republican Rep. John Curtis of Utah, who recently jumped into the race for outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney's seat, has racked up thousands of dollars in donations for his congressional bids from the green energy industry, according to campaign finance records.
Curtis launched a Senate campaign on Jan. 2 after previously ruling it out shortly after Romney announced he would not seek another term in the upper chamber, adding to a primary already filled with prominent Republicans. The congressman, who has broken with many on the right on climate change, assembled thousands of political action committees (PACs) affiliated with green energy organizations and businesses during his four House runs, according to the the documents of the Federal Electoral Commission (FEC).
“Congressman Curtis is one of the leaders of a small but vocal minority in the Republican Party that thinks Republicans must capitulate on the issue of climate change for fear of losing younger voters, and the polling data simply does not stand. out,” Tom Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Curtis is the president of the Conservative Climate Caucus, which claims its goal is to reduce emissions without limiting consumer choices. The caucus aims to inform members of “climate policies and legislation consistent with conservative values.”
The MP believes that curbing climate change will strengthen the economy rather than hinder it by promoting private sector energy innovation such as carbon capture, seconds to the politician
The political arm of Bipartisan Climate Action has given $13,500 in donations to the congressman's 2021-2023 campaign, according to FEC data shows. The group is centered on re-electing members who push for “meaningful, lasting, bipartisan legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Between 2020 and 2022, the PAC affiliated with the Environmental Defense Action Fund gave $5,500 to Curtis' congressional campaign, seconds in the files of the FEC. The political arm of nonprofits, that is committed to “elect climate champions”, animate the Biden administration to promote electric vehicles and reduce emissions.
Sunnova Energy's corporate PAC contributed $1,000 to Curtis' efforts in May 2023, along with another $1,000 donation in late September, just after announced was thinking of running for the Senate, seconds in the files of the FEC. The companyallegedly took advantage of elderly customers who were near death to convince them to sign expensive multi-decade solar contracts, seconds in The Washington Free Beacon.
“A lot of these companies are looking for a way to try to create a sense of bipartisanship in the climate kind of agenda. And when you have a member of the Republican Party making proposals on climate change, they're naturally going to gravitate toward him,” he said. Pyle said.
The campaign also brought in $12,500 in donations from the PAC affiliated with the Solar Energy Industries Association between 2022 and 2023, according to FEC records. show. The trade association hopes that solar power “will achieve 30% of US electricity generation by 2030.”
PACs lined up for SunPower i SunRuntwo solar energy companies, have given $2,500 to the congressman's campaign 2022 i 2023respectively, according to FEC data.
Other affiliated PACs for green energy companies com NextEra Energy, Sempra Energy i Noble Energy have also given thousands to Curtis' campaign, totaling $11,500 since 2018, seconds a FEC presentations.
Curtis has been critical of the Biden administration's costly green energy efforts, including the president's signature climate law, the Inflation reduction law, according to Politico. The congressman hosts the “Conservative Climate Summit” on college campuses to engage with younger voters on the issue, and has traveled abroad to the last three UN climate summits.
“Being a fringe Republican, he will be a very popular candidate among Republican front groups, like [Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions] and the clear path. It will also be popular with old Republican-leaning operations like the [American Petroleum Institute] and the House,” Mike McKenna, GOP strategist and former Trump administration energy adviser, told DCNF. “He may be one of the few people in Utah who wouldn't be an upgrade from Sen. [Mitt] Romney.”
Curtis, a former mayor of Provo, Utah, used to be a Democrat and served as his county party chairman in the early 2000s. seconds in the Deseret News.
Brent Orrin Hatch, son of the late Senator Orrin Hatch who was succeeded by Romney, he jumped at the race on the same day as Curtis. The Speaker of the State House, Brad Wilson launched a Senate run at the end of September and the mayor of Riverton Trent Staggshas been running for Romney's seat since May.
The Cook Political Report characterizes Romney's seat as in the “Solid R” category. The GOP primary will take place on June 25.
A Survey of Strategy and Survey of Guidant released in mid-December found Curtis with 40% support among the crowded Republican primary field, followed by Wilson at 11% and Staggs at 6%. The remaining 43% of likely primary voters were still undecided about their choice.
“Utah voters will have a choice,” Pyle said. “The voters of the Republican primaries [sic] he will have the option of choosing someone as a candidate who is more like the senator. [Mike] Lee, who I would say is a true conservative, or more like Sen. [Mitt] Romney, who has never been very conservative, especially on these issues.”
Curtis' campaign did not respond to DCNF's request for comment.
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