Article By Heather Connell: Political Committee Chair
Delaware needs legislators who will stand up for clean air, clean water, and progress toward completely sustainable energy in Delaware. From the increasing threat of climate change and its consequences to the challenge of increasing renewable energy, we have endorsed candidates who will protect the land and water for all Delawareans.
The candidates’ views on environmental justice are a crucial priority for us in selecting our endorsements. In light of the fact that there is no environmental justice without racial justice, every candidate on this list will support addressing the inequities that have long existed in our country, including Delaware. The candidates we have endorsed support protections for communities who live near heavy industry, mandatory reporting to those communities when there is a pollution incident, and reform to law enforcement to make our communities safer and fairer for all.
Another top issue in Delaware is how our state will transition to a sustainable energy economy while bringing new “green jobs.” Jobs have long been stagnant in Delaware, and our economy is in a state of crisis because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are endorsing candidates who will include green jobs in their plan for rebuilding from the pandemic, both because of the environmental benefits and because these growing industries can revitalize Delaware’s economy.
Another of our priorities is the shift to renewable energy that is essential to the health of our planet and our state. Our state is one of the most vulnerable in the nation to climate change because of its low elevation, making us vulnerable to rising sea levels. Many states are transitioning to 50% or greater renewable energy. We are endorsing candidates who support this climate-friendly vision.
Sarah McBride is running for election in State Senate District 1, for a seat left open by long-time legislator Harris McDowell’s retirement. She is a strong supporter of renewable energy use and wants to see 100% renewable energy use in Delaware by 2050. She is also committed to attracting and sustaining green jobs at all levels of government. Sarah McBride has also earned our endorsement for her consistent support of social and environmental justice. She favors improving our infrastructure, working with businesses to reduce their environmental impact, and making renewable energy accessible to at-risk communities.
Our endorsement for State Senate District 5 is Kyle Evans Gay. She supports adding a Green Amendment to Delaware’s constitution, guaranteeing Delawareans the right to clean air and water. She would also support investments in clean transit and increased public transportation. To address the impacts of pollution in Delaware, she favors affordable access to healthcare, increased transparency and accountability for industry, and limits on the current excessive development of Delaware’s green spaces.
Our endorsement for State Senate District 8 is Dave Sokola. He is committed to open space preservation and worked on the addition of the new state park in Yorklyn, as well as several other projects to add land to state and local parks. He is a proven supporter of renewable energy and will vote for more renewable energy in Delaware. Furthermore, he believes businesses need to be accountable for past polluting actions.
Our endorsed candidate for State Senate District 13 is Marie Pinkney. She supports what is now being called a “Green New Deal for Delaware,” beginning with black and brown communities. She supports mandating increased accountability for heavy industry, with public health services offered to the impacted communities. She sees incentives for green jobs as essential to our future economy.
Our endorsed candidate for State Representative District 7 is Larry Lambert, Jr. He is a long-time champion for environmental justice and has been dedicated to serving his community for years. He agrees that we need a Green New Deal in our state and supports transitioning to 100% renewable energy. He also believes that we need to be strengthening, not weakening, the Coastal Zone Act which protects our irreplaceable shorelines and wetlands. He is also a strong advocate for solar energy education for youth through workforce development and job training.
Our endorsed candidate for State Representative District 8 is Sherae’a “Rae” Moore. She is an advocate for environmental justice – she believes that to really understand the wide-ranging impacts of ramped pollution, we need to be studying its effects on an ongoing basis and providing restitution to affected communities. She prioritizes attracting & creating clean jobs and actually supports a moratorium on new heavy industry.
Our endorsed candidate for State Representative District 9 is Debbie Harrington. She supports education & training for green jobs. She wants to bring the industries of renewable energy to Delaware. She supports preserving farmland and green spaces for future Delawareans to enjoy. To protect the community she hopes to serve, she would insist on legal liabilities for current and past pollution, requiring transparency about monitoring and accidents, and improving access to healthcare, especially in affected communities.
Our endorsed candidate for State Representative District 12 is Krista Griffith. She is an advocate for recruiting industries that emphasize green jobs. She supports environmental justice initiatives to remedy some of our historical issues, but also believes that environmental and health impact studies must be conducted for future industries coming to Delaware. She supports increasing renewable energy mandates in Delaware and has been a champion of bringing in new EV charging stations and improving EV infrastructure.
Our endorsed candidate for State Representative District 21 is Stephanie Barry. She supports adapting abandoned industries and worksites to help bring about a much needed green job revolution. She believes environmental funding must prioritize monitoring pollution and care for those affected. She emphasizes protecting open space and clean water and has been the champion in her district for the preservation of the Three Little Bakers site, a treasured plot of open space in her district.
Our endorsed candidate for State Representative District 22 is LuAnn D’Agostino. She is a proponent of renewable energy and further incentivizing residential solar and a transition to clean energy statewide. She believes in cultivating green jobs in Delaware. She is active in fighting to preserve open spaces and would vote to increase funding to protect them.
Our endorsed candidate for State Representative District 26 is Madinah Wilson-Anton. Madinah literally wrote one of the first plans for a Green New Deal in Delaware. She knows that a sustainable economy is crucial and supports the creation of a Delaware Green Bank to fund green jobs. She also supports a Green Amendment to Delaware’s constitution to guarantee Delawareans the right to clean air and water. She supports cumulative health risk assessments for all new industries with ongoing input from the surrounding community. She believes legislators must address climate change, and she would vote to increase renewable energy and community solar in Delaware.
Our endorsed candidate for State Rep District 27 is Eric Morrison. He emphasizes investments in green energy as a path forward to a healthy environment and economy. He supports requiring cumulative health risk assessments for new industries; increased accountability and transparency of heavy industry and other businesses; and resident feedback solicited by the state before moving ahead with new industrial sites. He supports increasing renewable energy usage to 100% and supports a repeal of the gutting of the Coastal Zone Act.