Former VP targets House Democrats, accusing policies of enabling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mike Pence has rolled out a $10 million advertising campaign aimed at House Democrats, claiming their environmental policies have indirectly supported Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.

The ads target key Democratic members and accuse President Joe Biden and his administration of jeopardising international security by halting domestic oil production. Specifically, the ads criticise the revocation of the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline—a decision made by the Biden administration but initially supported under Trump’s administration when Pence was Vice President.

The central claim in the ad reads: “Joe Biden caved to the radical environmentalists and stopped America’s Keystone Pipeline and dramatically increased Americans’ dependence on Russian oil, endangering America’s security and helping Russia fund their invasion.”

This move comes amid a broader political debate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and many Democrats are actively pushing for a ban on Russian oil imports as a response to the invasion of Ukraine. In a recent letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi underscored the administration’s priorities: “The Administration and the Congress remain laser-focused on bringing down the higher energy costs for American families and our partners stemming from Putin’s invasion.”

The ad campaign specifically targets a list of vulnerable House Democrats, including:

Rep Colin Allred (TX-32)
Rep Cindy Axne (IA-03)
Rep Jared Golden (ME-02)
Rep Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Rep Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Rep Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07)
Rep Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15)
Rep Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06)
Rep Susan Wild (PA-07)
Rep Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05)
Rep Matt Cartwright (PA-08)
Rep Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Rep Tom O’Halleran (AZ-02)
Rep Elaine Luria (VA-02)
Rep Sharice Davids (KS-03)
Rep Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)
Some of these Democrats are considered particularly vulnerable. For instance, Rep Elaine Luria faces challenges following redistricting in Virginia, with political forecasts labelling her district a “Toss-up.” Similarly, Rep Cindy Axne’s Iowa district has leaned Republican in past elections, complicating her prospects.

Conversely, Representatives Colin Allred (Texas’s 32nd District) and Lizzie Fletcher (Texas’s 7th District) represent seats that have become safer for Democrats through redistricting. According to political analysis by FiveThirtyEight, Allred’s district has a Democratic lean of 25 percentage points, while Fletcher’s has a lean of 24 percentage points, largely due to the shifting demographics of their respective areas.

This ad campaign highlights how Pence and his political group Advancing American Freedom are strategically leveraging energy policy and geopolitical concerns ahead of upcoming elections.