[Philadelphia, PA] – Today, voters went to the polls and soundly rejected gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner’s extremist anti-environmental agenda and elected 24 new pro-environment leaders to the state house and senate. Forty three of Conservation Voters of PA’s 56 endorsed pro-environment candidates won their elections, with one race still too close to call. Governor Tom Wolf was handily re-elected over climate-change denier Scott Wagner, and voters elected environmental champions across the Commonwealth.
“Harrisburg will be a lot greener, younger, and full of powerful women in January” said Josh McNeil, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. “In one of the most pro-environment elections in Pennsylvania history, voters sent dozens of champions for clean air and clean water to fight for all of us in the legislature.”
Conservation Voters of PA and its affiliated PACs made the largest investments in their history in the 2018 cycle to elect environmental champions to state and legislative offices, including investing more than $141,000 in independent expenditures in Chester County, a region where pipeline development is rapidly threatening drinking water quality and open space conservation. In total, Conservation Voters of PA Victory Fund knocked 38,038 doors and made 74,000 phone calls, contacting 112,038 voters and helping to secure key victories for Melissa Shusterman, Chris Sappey, and Kristine Howard.
Conservation Voters of PA Action Fund partnered with the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter to contribute $210,000 to legislative candidates, helping elect Danielle Friel Otten, Chris Sappey, Melissa Shusterman, Lindsey Williams, Tim Kearney, and Steve Santarsiero. Conservation Voters and Sierra Club made their largest investment in Danielle Friel Otten, who ran because a pipeline threatened the backyard where her kids played. Friel Otten won a tough race in Chester County by almost 10 points.
“We believe that good environmental laws are made by good environmental lawmakers and leaders. That’s why we work to elect leaders committed to a cleaner, safer Keystone State. We’re proud to say that the majority of Pennsylvanians agreed with us today,” said McNeil.
You can find a full list of candidates who won and more information about them at www.conservationpa.org/endorsements.
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