30 Climate Champions Elected Across Massachusetts

Yesterday, 30 out of 34 candidates endorsed by the ELM Action Fund were elected to state office. In January, these climate champions will take office across our Commonwealth, including 6 State Senators and 24 State Representatives.  

The national election results underline the urgent need for continued state environmental leadership. We celebrate that Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly elected candidates committed to such leadership.   

Each of our endorsed candidates recognizes the urgent need for innovative, effective climate action. Massachusetts voters elected candidates committed to furthering clean energy initiatives, improving public transit, expanding responsibly developed offshore wind, and protecting public health and open space.  

“ELM Action Fund-endorsed candidates achieved successful results through their focus on climate action and building our clean energy future,” said Casey Bowers, Executive Director of the ELM Action Fund. “We have come a long way in making climate an important electoral issue, and that urgency only grows stronger with each election.” 

Throughout the 2024 primary and general elections, the ELM Action Fund and the ELM Action Fund Independent Expenditure PAC made contact with over 500,000 voters across the Commonwealth. We encouraged constituents to vote by knocking on doors, making phone calls, running digital ads, and sending targeted mailers. We featured each of our candidates in the Massachusetts Green Voter Guide and placed ads for the website targeting environmental voters. The tool made it easy for residents to find environmental champions on their ballots; over 6,000 voters utilized this resource during the 2024 election cycle. 

The ELM Action Fund Independent Expenditure PAC supported four of the cycle’s closest races, emphasizing the economic benefits of each candidate’s commitment to clean energy. With digital ads and mailers, the IE PAC helped to reelect Senator Adam Gomez and Senator Julian Cyr and elect clean energy expert Mark Sylvia for the open 10th Bristol House seat and current-Representative Dylan Fernandes for the open Plymouth & Barnstable Senate seat.  

Highlights from other critical races include: 

Leominster voters re-elected Representative Natalie Higgins, a long-time champion for regional transit equity and environmental justice in the 4th Worcester District. 

Leigh Davis won her open-seat election for Representative of the 3rd Berkshire District and commits to advocating for renewable energy initiatives, expanding public transit, and supporting sustainable agriculture practices.  

In Newton, former City Councilor Amy Mah Sangiolo was elected as 11th Middlesex District Representative. Her strong environmental platform focused on banning toxic PFAS products, reducing emissions, and protecting open spaces. The city also elected ELM Action Fund-endorsed candidate Greg Schwartz to represent the 12th Middlesex District.  

We commend all ELM Action Fund-endorsed candidates who lost their races; their dedication to making climate a key issue on the campaign trail brought new energy and awareness to the debate.  

The ELM Action Fund’s electoral work was bolstered by our Campaign and Advocacy Fellows program, a paid opportunity during which fellows work directly alongside endorsed candidates’ campaigns. In 2024, eight fellows joined our efforts to elect environmental champions. 

See our full 2024 election results. 

Massachusetts’ leadership on climate matters now more than ever. In the face of the federal election results, we anticipate new challenges in our collective work to build a just clean energy economy. Looking forward, the ELM Action Fund is navigating the uncertainty and seizing our state‘s climate opportunities. We will work with our leaders on Beacon Hill to move swiftly and to secure the health and wellbeing of our environment and of future generations. 

The ELM Action Fund is a nonpartisan organization that helps pass laws that protect our environmental legacy, holds our elected officials accountable, and works to build the political power of the environmental community. To learn more about our work and our recent electoral victories visit www.elmaction.org/elections.