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By Alex Guillen

As a campaign influencer, you're getting the latest newsletter from POLITICO's in-depth series All Policy is Local: Energy, which provides deeper coverage of the intersection of pressing policy issues and the most-contested midterms. For more from this special reporting series, go to
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http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2f7714a8dd62d542572ccfa57a3daa4c729f4e65c62c571ec .

WELCOME TO ENERGY AND THE MIDTERMS. This newsletter is a monthly feature of the POLITICO series "All Policy is Local: Energy," examining how energy policy issues affect the 2014 midterm elections. We welcome your feedback, questions and tips, so please contact me at
mailto:aguillen@politico.com
aguillen@politico.com and follow me on Twitter at @
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alexcguillen .

FIELD REPORT - ETHANOL FUELS CLASH IN CORN COUNTRY: Erica Martinson reports from Cedar Rapids: "Rep. Bruce Braley is betting the farm on corn - and Democrats' hold on the Senate may be in danger if he's wrong. The Iowan is touting federal support for ethanol while competing in one of 2014's most critical Senate contests - and he's banking on his ability to champion his state's cause in D.C., where the corn industry's political power has waned.

"While critics ranging from environmentalists to anti-subsidy fiscal conservatives have turned against ethanol, Braley is busy posing at gas stations that sell the corn-based biofuel, campaigning with farmers and pressuring EPA to protect the federal mandate that guarantees corn's role in the U.S. fuel supply. His Republican opponent, state Sen. Joni Ernst, has been more elusive on the issue - saying she 'philosophically' opposes government meddling in markets but promising to protect EPA's ethanol program until all other subsidies are repealed." The must-read story is here
.

QUESTIONS FOR THIS MONTH: How well will candidates use the August recess to campaign? Do climate change and other energy issues merit debate among voters as we enter the dog days of summer? How will EPA's Pebble Mine restrictions play in Alaska? Do West Virginia voters respond well to Natalie Tennant's first ad, which attacked the White House over coal policy instead of slamming Shelley Moore Capito? As tensions with Russia rise, do Colorado voters blame Mark Udall for the Senate's failure to take up LNG legislation? Do voters give Mary Landrieu credit for passing Keystone XL legislation out of her committee, even if she couldn't secure a floor vote? Is another surprise upset brewing in
Kansas' 4th Congressional District?

TOP SENATE RACES

Louisiana: The buzz in the bayou is the rumor that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will endorse Energy and Natural Resources Chairwoman Mary Landrieu for reelection, a potentially major boost for the oil-and-gas-friendly Democrat. The Chamber won't confirm anything, but the possible endorsement -
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c22aa0c064618cf39d6d7d2c859c6eb71c5b2c12e18c7f4f66
first floated by New York Times columnist Joe Nocera - would highlight the belief that Landrieu's chairmanship gives her more sway than a Republican freshman would have. But her influence depends on whether Democrats maintain control of the Senate, and Landrieu's fate is a critical part of that question.

-Landrieu leads in fundraising so far, with $9.6 million raised and $6.2 million on hand as of the end of June, while Republican Bill Cassidy has netted $8 million and has almost $5.9 million on hand. Keep in mind that both candidates are preparing for the strong possibility of a runoff, though that could attract a refreshed batch of donors and outside spending - particularly if a December runoff determines control of the Senate. Polling continues to show a tight race.

Colorado: The Senate didn't get to Sen. Mark Udall's LNG export legislation before recess and may not take it up before the midterms. That could be bad news for the Democrat, since the House in June passed a similar version written by his fall opponent, Republican Rep. Cory Gardner. Natural gas also continues to make headlines back home as the Aug. 6 deadline approaches for filing signatures for ballot initiatives, including measures backed by Rep. Jared Polis and others that would hamper oil and gasdrilling. And a state judge recently threw a wrench into the debate when she
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c27bf21fd794c47614d7ccc22edee70ca81a3b94ab8336e574
ruled that the state's interest in regulating oil and gas trumps the city of Longmont's voter-approved fracking ban.

Alaska: Dan Sullivan, the former state natural resources chief and attorney general, continues to lead in the polls and fundraising for the Aug. 19 Republican primary. Meanwhile, the controversial Pebble Mine project has become a renewed campaign topic thanks to EPA's proposal
to restrict waterways from being used for mining disposal. Democratic Sen. Mark Begich, who opposes the mine, praised the decision and argued it would apply narrowly without affecting Alaska's broader mining industry. Sullivan says EPA is overstepping its authority. And just this week, Sullivan's former campaign manager, Ben Mohr - previously a longtime spokesman for the Pebble Limited Partnership -
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2e687c0d0cdcb16df0ebace4af9e1cb87577cd7a7e50250f2
was named Gov. Sean Parnell's fisheries adviser.

- In case you missed it, POLITICO reported last week
that Sen. Lisa Murkowski isn't too happy with the idea Begich is promoting that he and she are a team. "He's running for office, and I want a Republican partner," she said.

West Virginia: Outside groups have flooded the zone with ads in this race, but the first shot from a campaign itself came from Democrat Natalie Tennant - and it was aimed squarely at the White House. Tennant's
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2a96769c5974d3f53fea9e5d704dd756f8bfc1d06b1925a80
first ad slammed President Barack Obama over his coal and climate policies and featured Tennant vowing to take on anyone from either party who would hurt West Virginia's coal industry. Republican Shelley Moore Capito, who has maintained her lead in the polls and in fundraising, also continues to make coal - and her opposition to Obama's policies - a centerpiece of her campaign. Capito launched
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c26d51abc5148ad97175df020da86d272dd63545ef31262e6a
her first ad on Wednesday, connecting Tennant to Obama and charging that the Democrat's "campaign efforts are being heavily financed by some of the most radical anti-coal people in the country."

Montana: Democrat John Walsh, already trailing in the polls behind Republican Steve Daines, took a potentially major hit after The New York Times reported that major parts of his 2007 U.S. Army War College master's thesis
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c26230dd416bfaa59887cd37d010c6e78a5f79c947dd84bf8f
were plagiarized . Senate Democrat have remained
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c228ef73b49efd48beced85ef9326c096098b96c7ab4a0f4f3
solidly behind Walsh . But just days after the news broke, Daines gave the
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2c325de268c6ca0409842b98730ead4d7d6e55181a0b5ccb7
weekly GOP address , which he used to speak about "the importance of hard work, accountability, personal responsibility" and to slam the Obama administration's energy policies.

Michigan: Democrat Gary Peters is going after the Koch brothers in addition to his Republican opponent, Terri Lynn Land. "I feel like I'm not really running against Terri Lynn Land. I feel like I'm running against the Koch brothers," Peters
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c26ffd32bd15adfe0718ee77aa2eb3f9e02f7a1e439277153c
said at a campaign rally. Koch-connected groups like Americans for Prosperity have spent millions of dollars hammering Peters on issues including environmental regulations. Peters has taken aim specifically at piles of petcoke owned by a Koch affiliate that have become a political controversy in Michigan. Polls generally show Peters with a small but steady lead over Land, though Land enjoys a fundraising advantage over Peters. As of mid-July, Land reports having brought in $8.7 million and having $4.8 million cash on hand, while Peters had raised almost $7 million for the cycle and has about $3.2 million in the bank.

New Hampshire: Democrat Jeanne Shaheen hit the Senate floor to call for a vote on her bipartisan energy efficiency package, which was derailed off the floor again earlier this year. The bill became a "victim to election year politics," Shaheen lamented alongside a spectrum of Senate Democrats including Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Manchin and Sheldon Whitehouse. Shaheen continues to lead Republican Scott Brown in the polls, and she enjoys a much bigger campaign purse than Brown, having $5.1 million on hand at the end of June as opposed to Brown's $1.5 million.

Kentucky: This statistically neck-and-neck race continues to attract national attention. A
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2302d9372601844dc9bb1b12cc81557c3c8b78a8b7be13a0a
poll this week showed Republican Mitch McConnell with a 2-point lead over Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, within the margin of error. Money continues to flood into the race, with each candidate's fundraising well over the eight-figure mark - not to mention tens of millions of dollars in outside spending. That same poll concluded that voters trust McConnell more on coal issues but prefer Grimes when it comes to jobs. The two campaigns continue to fire shots over coal, with Grimes blaming McConnell for the loss of coal jobs in Kentucky (an assertion
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c28bd44f387621598306a46e2a910a711d8d4cc59ad152e8db
assailed by the industry ) and McConnell linking Grimes to the Obama administration's coal policies (another ad
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2453eff7d80f93381076f4ee50b6a296a36283d4e732712e4
that took fire ).

Hawaii: Environmental groups and green figures are lining up behind appointee Brian Schatz in his Aug. 9 Democratic primary against Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. The League of Conservation Voters just dropped $380,000 on ads boosting Schatz's green cred, and a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2cb59a7ce133709227cbe2c7b2e9c686a030af7d6936f2885
PPP poll commissioned by LCV out this week found Schatz with 49 percent support from likely primary voters, while 39 percent went for Hanabusa and 11 percent were undecided. The poll also showed Schatz with a high favorability rating and the most trust on environmental issues. Schatz has landed backing from the Sierra Club, Al Gore, Michael Bloomberg and President Barack Obama.

** November's election gives voters a powerful choice on energy. Smart energy policies can grow our economy, create jobs and establish America as a global energy leader. America is now the world's number-one natural gas producer and is projected to become number one in oil by 2015. Get involved at
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c26ec85ed85e8918fba7a8d385785081b2c6b3ac9afdc18abb
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c26ec85ed85e8918fba7a8d385785081b2c6b3ac9afdc18abb **

HOUSE RACES

Kansas 4th: Republican Mike Pompeo faces a primary challenge next week from Todd Tiahrt, who previously held this seat before losing a Senate race in 2010. Recent polls show that while the race is tightening, Pompeo has maintained the lead. He also enjoys a massive fundraising advantage. Among the energy interests involved in the race, Wichita-based Koch Industries is backing Pompeo, while the American Wind Energy Association - which gives to wind-friendly candidates from both parties but typically stays away from primary challengers - contributed to Tiahrt. Pompeo is one of the wind industry's most vocal critics on the Hill because of his opposition to the production tax credit.

Michigan 6th: Signs point to general election victory for House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, but the 14-term congressman is facing what could be his toughest Democratic challenger yet. First, Upton must avoid what would be a surprise primary loss next week to Jim Bussler - something Upton is undoubtedly taking seriously following Eric Cantor's stunning primary defeat earlier this summer. Upton then faces Democrat Paul Clements, who has raised more money than any Democrat ever to challenge Upton, according to his campaign. Clements just released his first ad, touting clean energy and college aid, but Upton maintains a significant fundraising advantage.

West Virginia 3rd: While coal issues are sure to continue to play a major role in this race, Democratic incumbent Nick Rahall has been heavily focused recently on the Highway Trust Fund, the subject of this week's brinkmanship between the House and Senate. The delay in a long-term fix for the trust fund could prove to be a boon for Rahall, the ranking member of the Transportation Committee, if he touts his position atop the panel's Democrats.

Iowa 3rd: As of the end of June, Democrat Staci Appel has a large fundraising advantage over Republican David Young, thanks in no small part to the fierce six-way GOP primary that kept Young tied up until mid-June. The most recent fundraising figures show Appel with $725,000 in the bank, outflanking Young's $88,000. But don't expect the gap to maintain for long; with the GOP nomination in hand, donors will undoubtedly jump into this highly competitive race.

GUBERNATORIAL RACES

Florida: Gov. Rick Scott has taken heavy fire from climate activists and oblique criticism from President Barack Obama for saying he cannot comment on climate change research because he is "not a scientist." Florida scientists offered to give a briefing to Scott, whose coastal state is considered one of the most vulnerable to climate impacts like sea-level rise. Scott offered a briefing with his staff, and Democrat Charlie Crist - who says he switched parties a few years back in part because of a split with the mainstream GOP
on climate policy - has seized on the situation to promote his own climate plans. A recent
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2f957fc2d3e75a9d6a4338a282426df5cc6d991bebf1cf293
NRDC poll concluded that 71 percent of Florida voters believe carbon pollution causes climate change, and that 92 percent support a state-crafted plan to cut carbon emissions.

- Things still look favorable for Crist. He is
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c27330aa2e87d79fe1cbe844809e6ce9564eda1fd5016b8571
projected to win his Aug. 26 primary against former state Sen. Nan Rich, and at least three July polls showed him with small leads over Scott.

Pennsylvania: Democrat Tom Wolf maintains a big lead over Republican Gov. Tom Corbett in the polls. Meanwhile, Tom Steyer's NextGen Climate has taken out
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c224d6d947a22deda34034776dfcdd6a57422e47ceb35e1c76
an ad going after Corbett for his connections to the oil and gas industry, while Corbett seeks to connect Wolf to the Obama administration's policies - including EPA's recently announced climate rules. A
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c231fc3f02012d74245a8c9ceda2ecb495b16c0a01cd07b63c
poll backed by environmentalists found majority support for the rules in the Keystone State.

UPCOMING FUNDRAISERS, via the Sunlight Foundation's Political Party Time

Al Franken and Tom Udall: Former Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman co-chairs a reception for the Franken Udall Victory 2014 joint fundraising committee Saturday in Albuquerque.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2dd4568b8762f7385e90704ecdb8828e0e1d85fdc6e14ce8f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2dd4568b8762f7385e90704ecdb8828e0e1d85fdc6e14ce8f

Kay Hagan: Saturday fundraiser in Raleigh to meet James Taylor.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c27412916984612ee129132c3a663ceaa915b1621232bd2234
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c27412916984612ee129132c3a663ceaa915b1621232bd2234

Ed Whitfield: Aug. 8-10 weekend in Beverly Hills to make money for his Thoroughbred PAC.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c24163d5f7cd4c2e5754a2a69796d15e37bdd2547aa87e2c6d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c24163d5f7cd4c2e5754a2a69796d15e37bdd2547aa87e2c6d

Mike Michaud: Aug. 9 Kennebunkport fundraiser featuring former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2b053c8ced7d84bc4db48e6cab493de6c51fb775b2a661e9f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c2b053c8ced7d84bc4db48e6cab493de6c51fb775b2a661e9f

** November's election gives voters a powerful choice on energy. Smart energy policies can grow our economy, create jobs and establish America as a global energy leader. The oil & natural gas industry supports $1.2 trillion of GDP - that's 8% of the total U.S. economy. America is now the world's number-one natural gas producer and is projected to be the world's number-one oil producer by 2015. Our refineries create fuels for nearly 250 million vehicles and commercial, private and military aircraft - as well as the feedstocks for medicines, apparel and fertilizer. With increased access to North American oil & natural gas resources, experts predict we can create 1.4 million new American jobs.
All that adds up to a fundamental fact: expanding domestic energy production and refining will create jobs, help grow our economy and keep us secure for generations to come. This election, get involved at
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c26ec85ed85e8918fba7a8d385785081b2c6b3ac9afdc18abb
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2ef713e9645011c26ec85ed85e8918fba7a8d385785081b2c6b3ac9afdc18abb **

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