When it comes to figuring which candidate is the best for the environment in a given race, some endorsements are more difficult than others. Following the results of the May 17th special election, only two candidates remained to compete for the seat left vacant by Former Congresswoman Jane Harman: LA City Councilwoman Janice Hahn and dark horse, self-funding candidate Craig Huey.
Let’s compare.
On the city council, Janice Hahn was a key voice and leader who played a crucial role in working with environmental justice and labor groups to implement the Clean Air Action Plan. Since 2006, the plan has helped reduce LA port pollution by nearly 50 percent.
If elected, Hahn wants Congress to focus on tackling climate change, which includes passing a national Renewable Portfolio Standard — a standard that does not currently exist. Hahn has also made the creation of green jobs a staple of her campaign.
Now compare Hahn to Craig Huey. Huey is a self-funding, Tea Party-style hard-right candidate. He has no known environmental record because he has never held public office.
During the primary campaign, Huey was asked where he stood on environmental policy, and he responded “The courts should not be involved in legislation or regulatory decision making. The EPA policies are out of control and must be cut back and funding slashed.”
Uh… ok.
We made repeated efforts to contact the Huey campaign and invited him to participate in our endorsement process, but he was clearly not interested in earning an endorsement on behalf of the environment. Maybe it’s because he thinks people who care about clean air and clean water are out of control, too.
Sometimes the candidates just make it so easy. On July 12, please vote for CLCV’s-endorsed candidate: environmental champion Janice Hahn.
(For more information about our endorsement, please read the CLCV press release.)
