With just weeks to go until Election Day, many voters across the country have already begun casting their ballots. They face a clear choice between building on the incredible environmental achievements of the past four years or returning to “drill, baby, drill.” The NRDC Action Fund is entering the final phase of its yearlong plan to help elect Vice President Harris and pro-environment candidates who will defend our progress and protect our freedoms.
In support of this goal, the Action Fund is launching its largest-ever Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) program in key states and districts that will help decide control of the White House and Congress. To date, we have contacted over 1.5 million voters through calling, canvassing, texting, and letter writing, putting us on track to reach our goal of four million voter contacts by November 5. Our efforts will turn out members and environmental voters in the states that are key to winning back the House, including California, New York, and the presidential battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan.
There is also important work left to do around educating and motivating voters in key down-ballot races.
In California, the NRDC Action Fund is particularly interested in educating and motivating voters in three must-win races where we have endorsed pro-environmental champions:
- George Whitesides (CA-27) – George is an actual rocket scientist running to defeat Rep. Mike Garcia (R) in one of the country’s most competitive races. Wildfire prevention is a major issue in this district, as are rising home insurance costs due to those wildfires.
- Will Rollins (CA-41) – Will is running to defeat Rep. Ken Calvert (R), whom he came within 4 points of defeating in 2022. Will is running in part to lower prices for consumers, in contrast to his opponent who voted against holding the oil and gas industry accountable for price gouging.
- Dave Min (CA-47) – Dave is running for an open seat against a corrupt MAGA Republican, Scott Baugh. Baugh is a former elected official who was indicted on twenty-two charges. Authorities accused Baugh of using his office to enrich himself and his special interest friends. If elected, he would weaken regulations and work to help the interests of Big Oil lobbyists, not his constituents.
In New York, there are five key races where it’s important to educate and motivate voters about Action Fund-endorsed candidates:
- Laura Gillen (NY-04) – Former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen is running against Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R). Voters need to understand that Gillen will stand up to Republican extremism in the House and that her opponent has fallen in line with extremists, voting with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green nearly 75% of the time and endorsing former President Donald Trump. D’Esposito has also backed Big Oil over his constituents again and again. He has refused to support efforts to secure clean water, despite the district’s elevated levels of PFAS contamination, and he has voted against legislation that would lower costs and give consumers more energy choices.
- Mondaire Jones (NY-17) – Former Rep. Jones is running to lower costs for New Yorkers in a race against Republican incumbent Mike Lawler. Lawler is a former Big Oil lobbyist who reliably votes for the extreme GOP agenda in Congress.
- Pat Ryan (NY-18) – Rep. Pat Ryan is a combat veteran and district native whose leadership has created thousands of clean energy jobs. His Republican opponent, Alison Esposito, has called environmental protections to keep our air and water safe “a distraction.”
- Josh Riley (NY-19) – Josh Riley is running to take on corporate special interests and to lower prices for New Yorkers. He is committed to cracking down on corporate price gougers, unlike his opponent, Rep. Marc Molinaro (R), who takes campaign cash from electric utility monopolies that jack up rates for consumers.
- John Mannion (NY-22) – State Sen. John Mannion has worked hard to keep Central New York’s drinking water safe. In Congress, Mannion will support creating clean energy jobs and lowering costs for his constituents by promoting more renewable energy production. His opponent, Rep. Brandon Williams (R), would take choices away from consumers and increase prices by doing the bidding of Big Oil CEOs.
And, finally, in the crucial presidential swing state of Pennsylvania, we will focus on the following must-win race.
- Bob Casey (PA-SEN) – Sen. Casey is running for the Senate to continue to bring good-paying jobs and the economic opportunities of the clean energy economy to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanians need to understand that Casey’s opponent, David McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, would block clean energy jobs and keep the U.S. dependent on fossil fuels.
We are fired up to work with our members and activists over the next few weeks to help power a decisive victory for the planet and its people. We are working every day to educate and motivate the voters who will help decide this election. Vice President Harris and our pro-environment candidates have demonstrated that they are the climate leaders we need to build on the progress we’re making and raise climate ambition even higher going forward. We are ready to get out the vote on their behalf.
