Sierra Club Endorses Sara Gideon for US Senate

Portland: Today, the Sierra Club announced its endorsement of Sara Gideon in the race for US Senate. Gideon, the current Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, is the leading challenger facing off against four-term incumbent Susan Collins.

“Sierra Club is proud to endorse Speaker Gideon in the race for US Senate,” said Sue Levene, Executive Committee Chair of the Maine chapter of the Sierra Club. “As Speaker of the House, Sara Gideon has been a capable and strong advocate for Maine. We are confident that Gideon will be a tireless environmental advocate standing up for the rights of Mainers to access clean air, clean water, and a livable climate.”   

Though long considered an independent voice in the Senate, Collins has increasingly voted along party lines and supported the anti-environment agenda of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump. In 2017, Collins cast the deciding vote for the Republican tax bill that opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling and gave billions in tax breaks to polluting oil and gas companies. Repeated analysis has shown that Mainers were left behind in the $1.5 trillion tax bill.

“Collins voted along party lines to advance the interests of fossil fuel companies over the voices of regular Mainers and has taken more than $300,000 in contributions from oil and gas companies in this election alone,” added Paul Weaver, Sierra Club Maine Political Team volunteer member. “Mainers understand that the protection of our air, water, and climate are integral to our success as a state. Senator Collins is no longer working on behalf of Mainers and is instead voting in favor of her polluting corporate donors.”

“Here in Maine, we feel the impact of climate change on our environment and our economy, as its impacts threaten our woods and waters and our traditional industries like lobstering and logging,” said U.S. Senate candidate Sara Gideon. “Mainers deserve a senator who will protect our environment and take bold and immediate action on climate change. In the State House, we worked to protect our natural resources, invest in renewable energy, and reduce carbon emissions. I’m ready to bring that kind of leadership to Washington and I’m proud to have Sierra Club’s endorsement.”

Along with the endorsement, the Sierra Club will lend its volunteer strength to Gideon’s campaign. 

"Sierra Club volunteers will contact thousands of voters on her behalf and we will speak to the public as often as possible about her exemplary environmental record,” said Claudia King, volunteer chair of the chapter’s political team. “We look forward to a victory for Speaker Gideon on election night and to working with her to fight for the environment in the US Senate."