WASHINGTON – Environmental groups and advocates are rallying behind Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks’ Senate campaign in Maryland.
Climate leaders say the Democratic candidate has a stronger environmental record than her Republican opponent, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, and that they trust her to fight for climate action in the Senate.
The Sierra Club Political Action Committee, the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund are among the environmental organizations that have endorsed Alsobrooks.
Hogan’s campaign announced on Tuesday that it had earned the endorsement of the American Conservation Coalition Action, a conservative environmental group. In a press release about the endorsement, Hogan said he has made environmental conservation a priority and plans to continue to do so.
The NRDC Action Fund, which is affiliated with the Natural Resources Defense Council but a separate organization, endorsed Alsobrooks because of her past work on environmental issues.
“Her track record in Prince George’s County made clear to us that she has a genuine commitment to action on climate,” Kevin Curtis, NRDC Action Fund’s executive director, told Capital News Service.
In May 2022, Alsobrooks issued an executive order that county agencies should reduce 2005 emission levels by half before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
She plans to advocate for a similar timeline for emission reductions at the national level if elected, according to Meredith Happy, press secretary for Alsobrooks’ campaign. Alsobrooks also invested more than $1 billion in stormwater management programs to help improve water quality in rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Rich Norling, the political chair of Maryland’s Sierra Club chapter, said Alsobrooks stands out as a candidate due to her administration of a countywide composting program and aggressive pursuit of solar energy.
Hogan has a “very spotty environmental record,” Norling said.
Blake Kernen, the Republican’s campaign spokesperson, said in a statement to CNS that Hogan is committed “to advancing environmental stewardship and addressing climate change.”
As governor, Hogan advanced bipartisan climate initiatives, such as the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act and the Energy Innovation Act, Kernen wrote.
He also stood up against former President Donald Trump’s administration’s cuts to a Chesapeake Bay restoration program, according to Kernen.
“Governor Hogan is committed to leaving a positive environmental legacy for future generations of Marylanders,” Danielle Butcher Franz, CEO of the American Conservation Coalition Action, said in a press release. “We look forward to supporting him as he advances practical conservation solutions in the U.S. Senate.”
Hogan said he is running for Senate because he is worried about the direction of the country.
“Leaders are more focused on scoring political points than actually making progress on the issues facing our nation. We have to address the great threats of our time–including climate change,” he said in a press release.
But Hogan allowed several climate bills to become law without his signature, including the landmark Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, The Baltimore Sun reported. The bill required the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions numbers and develop energy efficiency requirements for certain buildings.
In its final assessment of Hogan’s eight years as governor, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters called his environmental record “mixed.”
“While he made strong statements committing to climate policy, Governor Hogan and his administration has not adequately addressed the challenges posed by climate change,” the Maryland League of Conservation Voters’ report said.
Curtis stressed the importance of electing a Democratic candidate to the Senate and maintaining the Democratic majority. It’s clear the Democratic Party is currently more committed to action on the environment than the Republican Party, he said.
Alsobrooks’ campaign has emphasized that a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate would try to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and defund the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We can’t let that happen,” Happy told CNS.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is the “most significant climate legislation in U.S. history,” according to the EPA.
The law included funding to lower energy costs, reduce carbon emissions and incentivize renewable energy. The law also featured provisions that help protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.
If elected, Alsobrooks said she will work to expand and build upon the Inflation Reduction Act and to increase funding for Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts.
Additionally, she has pledged to co-sponsor a bill by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, called Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act, which would require the largest polluters to fund efforts to combat climate change. She also has said she would advocate for expanding tax credits for clean energy.
“We know she will defend our Senate majority and fight for a cleaner, healthier future for our children,” Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous said in a statement endorsing Alsobrooks. “We deserve Senators like Angela Alsobrooks who will protect our planet, ensuring that every American – no matter their zip code or income – can breathe clean air and drink clean water.”
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