We are proud to announce that 47 of our endorsed candidates officially have been elected to the state legislature!
Our endorsed candidate John Cronin is headed for a recount in the Worcester and Middlesex District and our endorsed candidate Jake Oliveira is awaiting results in the 7th Hampden that are currently too close to call. We are confident with our record so far and comforted that election offices are taking time to ensure accurate results in this unprecedented election year.
Even our endorsed challengers who lost drew considerable support for their strong energy and environmental commitments. Challengers including Amber Hewett, Christina Eckert, and Deb Busser pushed their competitors to act on climate, causing some of them to break from their colleagues to vote for legislation that would commit the state to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and went on to cite their environmental achievements to voters.
The ELM Action Fund team recruited volunteers and hosted phone banks, texted and called over 40,000 voters, and reached hundreds of thousands of potential voters on social media spreading the word about our environmental candidates. We also provided information to our friends and supporters about options to vote safely by mail or early in person, helping to drive record-breaking turnout.
Strong climate policy has become a bi-partisan priority in Massachusetts. Voters across the political spectrum value clean air and water, accessible transit, and a cleaner, safer energy grid. And with the United States withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord becoming effective today, state legislatures are important strongholds against environmental rollbacks and incubators for bold climate policy. We look forward to working with our environmental champions during the upcoming legislative session and we have our hopes high for environmental candidates in races that haven’t been called yet across the nation.