2012 Elections

Environment Colorado announced its endorsements for the 2012 election season, shining a spotlight on key pro-environment candidates for the White House, Congress and the state legislature.

“When it comes to the air we breathe, the water we drink and the places we love, elections matter,” said Jeanne Bassett, senior associate with Environment Colorado. “Environment Colorado is proud to endorse President Obama and a slate of other pro-environment candidates who deserve our support. They are the right choices for voters who care about Colorado’s environment.”

Environment Colorado endorses the following candidates:

FOR PRESIDENT

President Barack Obama:  President Obama has aggressively protected our families’ health by tackling pollution that threatens the quality of our air and our water. He has advanced policies to dramatically reduce our dependence on oil and has doubled the nation’s reliance on clean renewable energy.  In contrast, Governor Mitt Romney opposes subsidies to wind energy, among other anti-environmental positions. To move Colorado, and America, toward a clean energy future, to protect our environment and health, and to ensure our country does its part to combat global warming, President Barack Obama gets Environment Colorado’s enthusiastic support.

FOR CONGRESS

Diana DeGette (CD 1):  Congresswoman Diana DeGette has been a leader for Colorado’s environment, with her most recent notable work to protect Colorado’s drinking water from the dangers of “fracking”.  With an Environment Colorado score of 100%, DeGette has been a leader and a fighter for clean water, clean air and clean energy.

Jared Polis (CD 2): Congressman Jared Polis is an environmental champion who values clean energy and the protection of Colorado’s special places. With an Environment Colorado score of 87%, the choice between Congressman Polis and Kevin Lundberg could not be clearer.

Sal Pace (CD 3): Sal Pace is an outstanding environmental choice for the third district. Serving in the Colorado House of Representatives since 2008 with a strong environmental record (and a lifetime score of 97% from the League of Conservation Voters), Pace has a history of standing up for Colorado’s open spaces and clean energy. Pace is challenging Congressman Scott Tipton, who voted to weaken the Clean Water Act, among other anti-environmental stances.     

Joe Miklosi (CD 6):  Joe Miklosi has a stellar record of standing up for Colorado’s environment. As a state legislator, Miklosi earned a 100% lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters. Miklosi defended Prop. 37, the clean energy ballot initiative championed by Environment Colorado, against coal-industry attempts to weaken it. Miklosi is challenging anti-environmentalist Congressman Mike Coffman, whose recently voted to open up Colorado’s public lands to increased drilling.  Coffman received a 0% score on Environment Colorado’s most recent scorecard.

Ed Perlmutter (CD 7): Congressman Ed Perlmutter is the obvious environmental choice for the seventh district. Standing with a strong environmental record (lifetime LCV score of 92%), Perlmutter is being challenged by anti-environmental candidate Joe Coors, who seems dead-set on continuing America’s failed energy policies of the past.   

FOR STATE SENATE

Evie Hudak (SD 19): Senator Evie Hudak is the clear environmental choice for the 19th District. Hudak has a 100% LCV lifetime score and has strongly supported clean energy, clean water and protecting open spaces.

Andrew Kerr (SD 22): Representative Andrew Kerr is the solid environmental choice for the 22nd district. Kerr has a strong environmental record in the state assembly (LCV lifetime score of 99%) and has championed clean energy solutions like energy efficiency. In contrast, Rep. Ken Summers’ long-term environmental record is weak, despite a recent pro-environment vote on wilderness protection. 

Linda Newell (SD 26): Senator Linda Newell should be sent back to the state Senate to represent District 26. Newell has a very strong environmental voting record (97% LCV lifetime score), though she had one misstep last year with a vote against clean energy. Her challenger, Dave Kerber, has no record or position of supporting a clean environment for Colorado. 

Crestina Martinez (SD 35): Crestina Martinez should be sent to Denver to represent District 35. As a county commissioner, Martinez designed and implemented strong clean energy programs for the district.  A rancher’s daughter, Ms. Martinez has a deep connection to land conservation.

FOR STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Daniel Kagan (HD 3): Representative Daniel Kagan has a 94% lifetime LCV score and is an outstanding champion of the environment. Kagan promotes keeping Colorado a premier clean energy leader as a way to create jobs and clean up the air.

Pete Lee (HD 18): Representative Pete Lee has a perfect lifetime score from LCV and a solid record of promoting clean energy. Recently, he led the opposition to a cynical attempt to count coal mine methane as renewable energy, and he voted yes on a bill that would have expanded local government control over “fracking”.

Brittany Peterson (HD 28): Brittany Peterson should represent the 28th district. She believes that Colorado’s water needs to be protected from the dangers of “fracking” and believes Colorado should remain a clean energy leader. Her challenger, Amy Attwood, explicitly supports increased “fracking”.

Tracy Kraft-Tharp (HD 29): Tracy Kraft-Tharp should be sent to Denver to represent District 29. She is thoughtful on the issues and promises to be a solid environmental vote. Incumbent Robert Ramirez has a lifetime LCV score of just 28%; he voted against electric cars and cast an anti-environmental vote to add coal mine methane to the state’s renewable portfolio standard.

Dianne Primavera (HD 33): Dianne Primavera has a lifetime LCV score of 99% which she earned by voting for water conservation, increasing renewable energy, such as geothermal and solar power, and sponsoring the “Cool Cities” resolution in support of solving global warming. She has a well-established track record of environmental activism, having been involved in the Sierra Club’s legislative activities. 

Dave Young (HD 50): Representative Dave Young has a lifetime LCV score of 92%; he has voted to expand the use of electric cars in Colorado and to protect the state’s premier renewable energy standard from attack by the coal industry. Mr. Young is sure to represent the environmental interests of District 50.

Millie Hamner (HD 61): Representative Millie Hamner is the better environmental choice for District 61. She has a 100% lifetime LCV score and is a true environmental champion. The leading contender, Kathleen Curry, started out as a strong environmental policy maker in her early years as a legislator. However, in filling out her Environment Colorado questionnaire, she submitted troubling answers on issues facing Colorado’s environment. For example, she said that she does not oppose the obviously anti-environmental effort to categorize coal mine methane as a renewable source of energy. Ultimately, we fear that Curry would not have an independent mind or a fighting spirit when it comes to protecting air, water and open spaces.

“With the polluter lobby spending lavishly on this election, it is more important than ever that Colorado voters know which candidates share our environmental values,” said Bassett.  “On November 6th the choice for Coloradans is clear. We believe President Obama and all these pro-environmental candidates deserve our vote.”

Paid for by Environment Colorado and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.  Contact us at: www.EnvironmentColorado.org.