Political Committee
Howard County Sierra Club
2018 Elections
List of candidates who have filed to run for office.
The Sierra Club’s political endorsements are influential with voters and sought after by candidates. This responsibility is taken seriously by the Club, with numerous steps involved in awarding endorsements.
1. The Howard County Group forms a Political Committee of non-partisan, objective volunteers.
2. The Committee drafts a political questionnaire for county offices, which is approved by the Group Executive Committee, and distributed to declared candidates.
3. Based on the answers to the questionnaire, the Committee proposes a list of local candidates for interviews.
4. All candidate statements – from the questionnaire, the interview, campaign materials, and public forums – are evaluated to make recommendations for endorsement.
5. The recommendations are based on the environmental positions taken by the candidate, and also on the viability of the candidate’s campaign.
6. All the recommendations of the Political Committee are presented to the Howard County Executive Committee for a vote. Endorsements must receive a 2/3rds majority vote of approval. Endorsements are not necessarily made in every primary or election race.
7. Approved recommendations for endorsements are forwarded to the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club for final approval.
8. Candidates for state offices are evaluated by the Group Political Committee working with the Chapter Political Committee; recommendations for endorsement must be approved by the Chapter Executive Committee.
9. Some incumbents are endorsed early, without the review process, in acknowledgement of their environmental work during their most recent term in office.
After endorsement, the candidates are allowed to publish the endorsement, to seek campaign help from the Club during the election season, and to purchase a mailing list of the Howard County Sierra Club’s members. The complete list of requirements for making political endorsements are given at the Sierra Club website.