Kamala Harris Confirms Support for Fracking During Campaign

Vice President Kamala Harris recently stated that she would not ban fracking during the Democratic ticket’s campaign. In an interview with CNN personality Dana Bash, Harris expressed her belief that progress on climate change can be achieved without imposing a ban on fracking.

Harris emphasized the importance of addressing the climate crisis and highlighted the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes significant investments in clean energy. She remarked, “I have always believed – and I have worked on it – that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time.”

This stance on fracking may be particularly important in rural areas of Pennsylvania, where the oil extraction method is prevalent. Harris had previously expressed a different viewpoint in 2019 while campaigning for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential primary.

The CNN interview coincides with a series of positive polling results for the Democratic ticket. A recent poll released Thursday showed that Harris leads nationally with 48% compared to 43% for her opposition, marking an eight-point turnaround since June.

The change in polling numbers is attributed to elements of the traditional Democratic coalition returning after the recent candidate swap and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) meeting. Additionally, a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated similar results, showing Harris ahead 45% to 41% among registered voters.

Notably, Harris holds a 13-point lead over former President Trump among women and Hispanic voters, according to the polling data. A Wall Street Journal poll also released Thursday indicated that Harris is winning 48%-47% in a direct match-up against Trump.

Further detailed polling results show that Harris matches or surpasses President Biden’s 2020 vote share across various states. Meanwhile, a Fox News poll released Wednesday further suggested that Democrats are slightly ahead in most Sun Belt battleground states.