Most lawmakers with constituencies near civilian nuclear power plants that are awaiting, undergoing, or returning from decommissioning won reelection easily on Tuesday, according to data published by the Associated Press.
Yet even after Donald Trump (R) decisively won reelection as President and Republicans captured the Senate, some races in the House, which was at deadline veering closer to Republican control, remained too close to call.
Among these was the contest in California’s 49th House district, which includes the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
With 70% of the vote counted in California’s 49th at deadline for RadWaste Monitor, incumbent Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) led his opponent, Republican Matthew Gunderson, 51% to 49%, according to the latest data from the Associated Press.
Levin, together with Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) is the co-chair of the congressional Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan group. Prior to the election, Levin resurrected a bill that proposed creating a new federal agency devoted solely to the management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
Over in the Senate, California’s civilian nuclear power industry, both San Onofre and the still-operating Diablo Canyon, which California brought back from the brink of shut-down, will have new representation.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the incumbent congressman from California’s 30th district, won the race for the Senate seat formerly held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and occupied after her death by Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.).
Another Senate race remained too close to call at deadline. In Nevada, Sen. Jack Rosen (D-Nev.), narrowly led her opponent, Republican Sam Brown, by fewer than two percentage points, with 90% of the vote in, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, few of the House races in plant-adjacent districts were competitive on Tuesday. Among the ones that were was the race for Wisconsin’s third congressional district, which includes the shuttered LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor. The grounds of that plant were certified as safe for redevelopment last year by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
This year in Wisconsin’s third district, incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) narrowly beat his opponent, Democrat Rebecca Cooke, 51% to 49%, according to the Associated Press.
In other districts and states near civilian power plants in various stages of cleanup, or return from decommissioning, incumbents cruised to reelection.
Districts in which Incumbent U.S. representatives were reelected by large margins include:
- At-large, Vermont. Vermont includes the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.).
- Michigan District 6, which includes the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.). Holtec International plans to restart Palisades, which shut down in 2022.
- Nebraska District 1, which includes the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station. Rep. Michael Flood (R-Neb.).
- Massachusetts District 9, which includes the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. Rep. William Keating (D-Mass.).
- Illinois District 10, which includes Zion units 1 and 2. Rep. Bradley Schneider (D-Ill.).
Incumbent Senators reelected by large margins were:
- Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
