This is an endorsement by Climate Hawks Vote, which I support.
Climate Hawks Vote is delighted to endorse Scott Peters in California’s 52d Congressional District of San Diego for his strong climate leadership and for taking first place in our August 2014 survey. And his approach just may break partisan gridlock in Congress.
Scott Peters has a reputation as a problem solver. Climate hawks tend to fly on the left wing of the Democratic Party, but Peters has demonstrated that climate transcends political partisanship. He’s spoken out onsuper-pollutants, national security, and resiliency, all issues that should not be bogged down in partisan bickering.
Peters eked out a victory in 2012 in a swing district, and he’s facing a very tough reelection fight – DC pundits consider his race one of the few true tossups of 2014. He could have ducked the thorny climate issue. Instead, he stepped up to the plate in a big way once in office, taking on a leadership role in the House Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition, authoring bills, and speaking out in the national and local press. That took political courage.
His courage is reflected in our scorecard, which measures leadership – not just votes – on climate. In the short time he’s been in Congress, he’s in fifth place among all Democrats in the House of Representatives, above stalwart climate hawks in Oregon, Vermont, and deep blue parts of California; the scorecard is cumulative since 2011.
Peters has also been endorsed by the US Chamber of Commerce – the first time we’ve ever agreed with the Chamber! but that fact gives us hope: perhaps climate can transcend politics. We need to return Scott Peters and his problem solving approach to Congress.
Peters joins our list of fall 2014 endorsees including Shenna Bellows (Maine-Senate), Paul Clements (Michigan-06), and Gary Peters (Michigan-Senate). We’re backing up our endorsement with organization on the ground in this swing district. Our on-the-ground organizers helped Brian Schatz close the deal in the Hawaii Senate primary and helped Ruben Gallego defeat a coal-funded opponent in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.
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