ELECTION 2006: 'By far our best performance,' Sierra Club leader declares  

E&E Publishing

November 8, 2006  

The Sierra Club hailed the defeat today of one of its archenemies, California Republican Rep. Richard Pombo, and declared yesterday's nationwide vote "the most successful midterm election for the environmental movement in its history."  

In an afternoon press call with reporters, the group's executive director, Carl Pope, characterized the election as "by far our best performance."  

Among the key victories was that of Democrat Jerry McNerney, a wind power engineer, over Pombo, the chairman of the House Resources Committee and a leader in efforts to rewrite the Endangered Species Act and reign in other federal regulatory and spending programs.  

Pope said Pombo's defeat in California 's 11th District "sends a clear message that when it comes to elections, the environment is now a giant killer."  

Pombo was the No. 1 target for the Sierra Club, which invested more than a half-million dollars in 35 "top-ticket races" nationwide. Sierra Club-endorsed candidates emerged as victors in 19 or 20 House races, five Senate races and four governor's races, according to the group's tally.  

Pope said the new solid Democrat majority in the House and a possible takeover of the Senate "totally transformed the congressional landscape in terms of national parks, endangered species and wildlife."  

But he cautioned that the change in congressional leadership may not produce new policy directions on a number of key environmental issues, including climate change and ESA reform. While legislation to curb greenhouse gases may find life in the 110th House of Representatives, the White House will still have considerable leverage over House Republicans, and President Bush is likely to veto any bill that does not meet White House objectives.  

"We can only hope that the administration's head-in-the-sand policy on global warming is now no longer operative," Pope said.  

Beyond Pombo, environmental groups welcomed the defeat of House Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) by political newcomer Heath Shuler. Pope identified Taylor as "one of two or three advocates of timber industry control over our public lands who went down to defeat."  

Other major victories for the Sierra Club were in Colorado , where former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter Jr. (D) defeated Rep. Bob Beauprez (R) for the governor's seat; and in Ohio , where the statehouse and one of two Senate seats fell into Democratic hands. Pope noted that in both Ohio races, Democratic candidates campaigned for greater development of renewable energy resources.

 

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