Congress’ upcoming votes on the Keystone XL pipeline will not affect Louisiana’s Senate runoff despite the national attention now directed to the race, said University political science professor James Garand. 
After arriving in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12 for the start of Congress’ lame duck session, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., called for a vote to approve the pipeline — a 1,179-mile development that would transport oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. 
The pipeline has been a major factor in the Senate race, with both candidates expressing their support for the project.
In response to Landrieu’s bill, House Republicans announced a vote on an almost identical bill sponsored by Landrieu’s opponent, Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
Republicans gained a majority in the Senate after the Nov. 4 midterm elections, though the GOP won’t take control until January. 
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell promised Cassidy a seat on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources should he be elected. Landrieu is the current chair of the committee.
The Senate’s vote is set to take place as early as Nov. 18, and the House’s vote is set to take place as early as Nov. 20.
Garand said attempts from Senate Democrats to rally around Landrieu would have been more helpful earlier in the campaign. 
“I think that there are Democrats who are trying to send the signal that they want to try to support Mary Landrieu, but I think the problem is that this may be too little, too late,” Garand said.
The Senate’s move to vote on the pipeline is politically motivated, given Landrieu’s upcoming re-election fight and Democrats’ past opposition to the pipeline, Garand said.
“The irony of this is that Cassidy could basically say the only reason this bill is coming up is because it’s clear that I’m the frontrunner,” Garand said. “It comes across as a little bit of a cynical political move, even though I know that Sen. Landrieu has supported this.”
Last week, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee pulled out its funding for Landrieu in the state. The three-term incumbent currently is trailing behind Cassidy by roughly four points, according to Real Clear
Politics.
Political science professor Robert Hogan stressed Landrieu’s need to increase voter turnout.
“This Keystone pipeline issue that she is trying to revive here at the last minute may give her some ability to demonstrate or to signal to voters, especially moderate voters and some conservative voters who may have wanted to support her, that she stands with them,” Hogan said.
Hogan said Landrieu would have to take drastic measures to change the course of the race. 
“It looks like she is facing a major opponent who is well-financed and an electorate that is very different than she faced in her last re-election campaign,” Hogan said. “The fundamentals are against her. There’s no doubt about that.”