This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
Michigan’s 1st Congressional District is the largest in the state, covering the Upper Peninsula and a big chunk of the northern Lower Peninsula. Since 2010, it has gone to Republicans. Two years ago, incumbent Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) won with nearly 60% of the vote.
This year, there are two Democrats vying for the nomination to challenge him in the fall: Dr. Bob Lorinser and political newcomer Callie Barr.
Lorinser is a family doctor based in Marquette who's worked in the medical field for decades. He ran against Bergman two years ago and lost.
Barr is an attorney from Traverse City who has worked as a high school teacher and an advocate for military families.
IPR’s Max Copeland talked to climate reporter Izzy Ross about how Lorinser and Barr are approaching environmental issues.
Here’s a summary of that interview.
How do the candidates differentiate themselves?
Lorinser said his experience and issue-driven approach would give him an advantage in the race against Bergman.
One difference Lorinser pointed to is their approach to Line 5; essentially, he said he'd take a stronger stance against it going through the Straits of Mackinac than Barr would.
“Line 5 does not have to go through the Great Lakes or under the Great Lakes,” he said in an interview with IPR. “That doesn’t mean I’m against oil. Oil is a necessary ingredient right now, cause we haven’t transitioned to a national energy plan without oil. So oil is necessary, no question. Oil pipelines are necessary, absolutely no question.”
When Barr was asked about her position on Line 5 during a candidate forum hosted by the Cheboygan County Democrats at the end of June, she said it was up to the courts to decide the future of the pipeline.
Barr also talked about renewable energy, saying rural areas shouldn't be left behind in a transition away from fossil fuels.
“I think we have to be really cognizant that when we're moving towards clean energy, which we want to do, and which the energy experts I've talked to desperately want to do, we need to do it in a way that we are still securing reliable energy,” she said, “So that people can turn on the lights, they can have the heater, and that the poorest among us aren't sat with the burden of that cost of transition and that we are trusting and working with our labor leaders and environmentalists as we do that.”
While Lorinser has said his experience gives him a leg up, Barr holds that she has a better chance of beating Bergman, pointing to her roots in the region and endorsements by labor unions.
“Respectfully, you know, my strategy isn't, ‘Pick me because I've already lost,’” she said. “I believe so strongly that, you know, Jack Bergman has never faced someone who's born and raised, from this district, and well-funded. That's so important. You know, we've worked so hard in this district to build coalition, and what that means is getting the support of working people in this district.”
Is climate change a big focus for either of them?
When the candidates were asked directly about climate policy during the forum in Cheboygan, Barr pointed to its impacts on agriculture. She also talked about clean energy as a solution.
But Barr has focused more on issues like support for veterans and military families, and climate and the environment seem to be further down on her priority list. For example, on her campaign website, she has a short statement broadly supporting protections for the environment around the Great Lakes, but she doesn't name specific positions or policies.
Lorinser has talked about the need for a national energy plan. And on his website, he has a longer list of his goals and positions on climate, energy and the environment, like reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and supporting carbon fees. (He tends to have lengthier posts on his site, while Barr’s are generally shorter.)
Lorinser has also focused strongly on healthcare; he's a vocal supporter of universal coverage and often talks about the importance of Medicare for All.
Whoever gets this nomination — Lorinser or Barr — it likely won't be an easy race: The district hasn't voted a Democrat into office since 2008.
Listen to the radio version of this story in the audio player above.
