While this year’s battle for the U.S. presidency will undoubtedly claim bragging rights as the most-watched political race, those in the trucking industry are keeping an eye on a handful of key Congressional races.
Several issues are at the forefront of trucking executives’ concerns. From economic uncertainties to shifting demand, labor regulations, a driver shortage, and increased fuel prices, the industry faces uncertainty as it attempts to keep supply chains flowing. In most political races this cycle, concerns of the trucking industry are not contentious issues, although many incumbents are highlighting the projects brought to their states and districts through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (better known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or BIL).
Among the Senate races to watch, Montana tops the list, according to Missy Edwards of Missy Edwards Strategies and Richard Sullivan of State Federal Strategies. Edwards and Sullivan serve as political consultants for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA).
Montana’s three-time incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, faces challenges from political newcomer and former Navy Seal Tim Sheehy, a Republican, as well as a possible late run from Republican Congressman Mark Rosendale. Sheehy’s stance on transportation-related issues is unclear; however, he has stated he is committed to America’s independence when it comes to energy. Sheehy says he will seek to reverse Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that are driving up energy costs and hindering America’s energy independence.
Tester, referred to by many as a champion for the trucking industry, touts his record in supporting trucker-related issues. Some of his early support for truckers included the Troops to Truckers Act in 2012, and he pressed for legislation to open the trucking industry to younger drivers. He was also among the leaders calling for the reopening of the border with Canada as the COVID-19 pandemic began to wane.
More recently, he cosponsored the bipartisan Truck Parking Safety and Improvement Act, which designates $755 million over three years to develop safe parking areas for truckers.
“Truckers spend long hours behind the wheel every day to make sure Montanans have the goods we need on our shelves,” Tester said. “It’s important we keep truckers safe and ensure supply chains are running smoothly to cut costs. I’m proud to have worked with folks on both sides of the aisle to improve truck parking infrastructure.”
Among Tester’s major accomplishments in the Senate is his support for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a law setting aside $1.2 trillion to improve America’s infrastructure including roads, bridges, and other transportation and communications facilities. The act also promised to create hundreds of thousands of jobs for Americans.
“We’ve all seen the impact that supply chain disruptions have on consumer prices and small businesses, which is why we’ve got to make sure our truck drivers have the resources and infrastructure they need to get goods where they need to go safely and efficiently,” Tester said.
Currently, Tester is the only Democrat in the Montana congressional delegation, but he is considered a moderate and has an agricultural background that resonates with many of his state’s voters. However, fellow Montana Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican, is working with Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to unseat Tester and claim his seat for the Republican party.
In another contested Senate race, Ohio’s incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, faces opposition from two Republican candidates in a state that former President Trump won by a 53%-45% margin in 2020. Brown has supported legislation to improve roads and bridges, ensure street safety, and upgrade airports and public transit. He has been particularly involved in rail safety since Ohio’s New Palestine train derailment in February 2023 spilled toxic chemicals and caused fires that burned for days.
Brown’s chief opponent is Republican Matt Dolan, a state congressman who has worked to earmark $170 million in state funding for transportation. He supported an $8 billion bill to fund construction and maintenance of Ohio’s transportation system and has pressed for legislation to protect Ohio’s natural gas and petroleum resources from taxation. Republican Bernie Moreno is also on the ballot to unseat Brown. While the 15 points noted on Moreno’s website have little to do with the transportation industry, he touts himself as “a conservative, an outsider, and an entrepreneur.”
A loss by either Montana’s Tester or Ohio’s Brown could flip a seat that’s vital to control of the Senate.
In the House of Representatives, pundits are calling for those in the trucking industry to keep a close eye on three races.
In New York’s District 17, encompassing the southeastern area of the state just north of New York City, incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican, is vying for a second term. Lawler quickly rose to fame in 2022 after defeating Sean Patrick Maloney, then chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, marking the first time a congressman holding the chairmanship has lost an election in 40 years.
Lawler’s opponent in District 17 is former Congressman Mondaire Jones. Jones, a Democrat, represented the Hudson Valley in 2020 and was elected by his colleagues as the youngest member of the House leadership. He also was named the most legislatively active freshman in Congress. In terms of transportation, Jones helped negotiate the Infrastructure and Jobs Act that has brought tens of millions of dollars to the district he seeks to represent. In 2022, however, Jones lost in the Democratic primary.
In North Carolina’s First Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Donald Davis is running for a second term in this primarily rural district. Davis’ activity in the transportation sector included his support for the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. His challenger is anticipated to be Republican Sandy Smith, a self-described “unapologetically America first, pro-life, pro-gun, pro-military, freedom loving, pro-Trump fighter.” Smith, the GOP nominee the past two election cycles, supports America’s energy independence and is a staunch opponent of the “Green New Deal.”
“Energy independence is critical to safeguarding our national security,” Smith said. “Closing the Keystone pipeline killed thousands of good paying jobs and weakened the United States of America’s energy standing in the world.”
Finally, in America’s northwest, Oregon’s Fifth District Congressional seat is currently held by Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer. She is seeking a second term in her district that was won by President Joe Biden by 9 points in 2020. She is highlighting millions of dollars brought to her district by the Infrastructure and Jobs Act as part of her re-election campaign.
The Democratic opponent expected to face off against Chavez-DeRemer is Janelle Bynum, a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. Bynum is a champion of legislation that made Oregon the “clean energy hub of America.”
Many other races across America will have lasting repercussions for the transportation industry, and some of those will eventually impact supply chains, trucker safety, and the health of the industry.
While TCA and the truckload industry, along with the rest of the nation, keep a close eye on numerous races, the end result remains a toss-up until the next Congress is seated.
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2024 edition of Truckload Authority, the official publication of the Truckload Carriers Association.
Since retiring from a career as an outdoor recreation professional from the State of Arkansas, Kris Rutherford has worked as a freelance writer and, with his wife, owns and publishes a small Northeast Texas newspaper, The Roxton Progress. Kris has worked as a ghostwriter and editor and has authored seven books of his own. He became interested in the trucking industry as a child in the 1970s when his family traveled the interstates twice a year between their home in Maine and their native Texas. He has been a classic country music enthusiast since the age of nine when he developed a special interest in trucking songs.
