Food & Water Action, the political arm of the national advocacy group Food & Water Watch, is endorsing Allegheny County Council candidates Sam Schmidt and Carl Redwood.
The organization has spent the past five years building a strong grassroots presence in Allegheny County, working with residents to restrict fracking activities in over 25 municipalities and scoring a major victory to ban fracking in county parks. The group knocked on 40,000 doors in support of Sara Innamorato’s campaign for County Executive, likely more than any other candidate or group in the 2023 primary.
Redwood is a long-time community organizer and social justice advocate. He supports a ban on fracking in Allegheny County, and more robust penalties for corporate polluters that degrade our air and water. Schmidt is a veteran, mother, and community organizer who will be a strong voice in our fight for clean air and clean water for all Allegheny County residents.
“Food & Water Action is proud to endorse Sam Schmidt and Carl Redwood for Allegheny County Council,” said Food & Water Action Pennsylvania Director Megan McDonough. “Their unwavering commitment to championing clean air, clean water, and a better future for Allegheny County residents make them strong allies in the fight for environmental justice and sustainable progress. Together, we look forward to adding more progressive voices to County Council, equipping the next administration with the numbers needed to create lasting change in Allegheny County.”
In 2022, Food & Water Action knocked on tens of thousands of doors and made nearly half a million calls to Allegheny County voters, helping to elect Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio to Congress. This November, Food & Water Action is looking to build on that momentum and elect champions that will empower the next administration to realize its full potential on environmental policies.
It’s fair to say that President Biden has been a disappointment in confronting the climate crisis — especially given his record of approving new fossil fuel projects. But the policies championed by the Republican Party are a stark reminder of how much worse things could get if they prevail in the 2024 elections.
This was underscored by a debate between GOP presidential hopefuls, which included an upsetting display of climate denialism. Nearly all of the contenders refused to even acknowledge the science of human-caused climate change, and they were united in their calls to increase drilling and fracking.
Despite the rising pitch of the crisis, climate deniers and Big Oil’s cronies dominate the Republican Party. They’re threatening to plunge us deeper toward climate chaos and tear down vital health and environmental protections.
And their plans are not exactly a secret — making the stakes of the next election crystal clear.
Republicans’ Abysmal Stance on Climate, Brought to You By Big Oil
Republican leaders would rather see polluters profit than listen to science and many of their constituents. August’s presidential debate emphasized as much.
The moderator asked candidates to raise their hands if they believed in human-caused climate change, and (perhaps) one candidate did (albeit briefly). Candidates took the opportunity to deflect, downplay, and even declare the “climate change agenda” a hoax. And they were united in their support for more fracking and drilling as part of an “energy dominance” agenda.
That’s no surprise when Republicans are receiving huge contributions from fossil fuel corporations. So far this year, fossil fuel donors sent $4 million to two Congressional Republican super PACs. This follows tens of millions of dollars donated ahead of the 2022 midterms — on top of the many millions they send to individual candidates each year.
All this is paying off handsomely for Big Oil and other dirty industries. Just two months after gaining control of the House in 2023, Congressional Republicans introduced dozens of bills endangering our environment and our climate. These bills aimed to gut environmental protections, slow climate action and infrastructure, and encourage more oil and gas production.
In March, House Republicans passed a huge energy bill that would clear the way for even more drilling, refineries, and pipelines. While the bill was dead-on-arrival in the Senate, it’s a major indicator of Republican priorities: doubling down on dirty energy.
The Republican Climate Plan Is a 900-Page Nightmare
Right now, House Republicans are quietly adding anti-climate provisions to spending bills — a dozen so far, according to The Lever. Fossil fuel-backed lawmakers are trying to stop the administration from spending money on climate action.
Their measures would block research on how climate change impacts the fishing industry, eliminate a National Science Foundation climate program, and end funding for a variety of international climate programs.
Supporters of these legislative maneuvers intend to create short-term headaches. They have little chance of actually passing, as spending bill negotiations move ahead with the Senate.
But the more substantial version of the Republican climate plan — which is nothing short of a nightmare — comes in the form of something called Project 2025.
Project 2025 is a 900-page blueprint for a Republican president’s presumptive first 180 days in office. The plan was crafted by former Trump officials and a right-wing think tank linked to notorious oil baron Charles Koch.
If carried out, Project 2025 would:
Halt efforts to expand the country’s power grid to accommodate new clean energy;
Cut funding for government agencies working on environmental justice and renewable energy;
Call for granting more regulatory powers to state officials, allowing Republican states to weaken or toss protections;
Block states from adopting standards to reduce car pollution; and
Fully repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, while giving an additional boost to fossil fuel drilling and exploration.
Project 2025 aims to shift the federal government away from protecting our public health or environment and toward smoothing the path for polluting industries to grow. It may even challenge the very notion that federal agencies can do anything at all to reduce climate pollution.
Their “Battle Plan” Must Be a Call to Action
Though Project 2025 is bad enough on its own, Republican frontrunners may have even more in mind. For instance, Donald Trump recently mused about the need to rein in an array of independent government agencies — a list that would include the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC).
While that agency has been historically very friendly to fossil fuel interests, Trump’s obvious intent is to make it even more so. Even observers who doubt Trump’s ploy would be successful are worried about the chilling effect it may have on FERC.
Broadly speaking, Republican climate plans are about sending a clear message. The director of Project 2025 is not exactly subtle about their goals — as he told Politico, “We are writing a battle plan, and we are marshaling our forces.”
That much is clear. The task for the rest of us — who want a livable future for ourselves, our communities, and the planet — is to make sure they lose.
Join our efforts toward a livable future by volunteering with Food & Water Action!
Update (November 8, 2023): Yesterday, the voters of Allegheny County chose Sara Innamorato as their next County Executive. After the corporate-backed, $1.3-million attack campaign against her, Sara’s victory showed the strength of people power over corporate cash.
Food & Water Action is proud to have mailed 1,600 handwritten letters and knocked on 41,000 doors to support Sara this year. We congratulate her on her win, and we look forward to her future plans to expand voting access, hold polluters accountable, and more.
Update (May 17, 2023): In yesterday’s six-way primary, Sara Innamorato won the Democratic nomination for Allegheny County Executive. She will face her Republican opponent in November but is likely to become the next County Executive, thanks to the region’s strong Democratic base.
Sara’s victory shows that bold progressive candidates who serve the people, not profit, will win — even in places like Allegheny County where, historically, corporate polluters have dominated the political landscape.
Moreover, Sara’s win shows the strength of people-powered, grassroots efforts. To that end, Food & Water Action knocked on more than 40,000 doors in support of her campaign. We look forward to Sara’s term as County Executive, as she fights against corporate polluters and for a brighter, greener future for all County residents.
Hers is the latest victory for progressive candidates in the region, including Food & Water Action’s 2022 endorsed candidate Rep. Summer Lee and our supported candidate Rep. Chris Deluzio.
Western Pennsylvania, home to Allegheny County, has become the heart of the nationwide fight to end our reliance on fossil fuels. The region has seen not only the growth of fracking, but now an expanding petrochemical industry.
Until recently, fracking companies have wreaked havoc on the region — which sits atop the Marcellus Shale formation — with impunity.
But thanks to grassroots movements, including Food & Water Action’s Municipal Ordinance Project, the tide is turning. Now, there are 25 municipal ordinances protecting over half a million Allegheny County residents from fracking.
Additionally, last year we helped to pass a ban on fracking in Allegheny County Parks. Originally vetoed by the current county executive, the ban now protects 12,000 acres of County park land.
That brings us to this year’s race for county executive and the campaign of Representative Sara Innamorato. Sara has served as a climate champion in the State House of Representatives and is now running for county executive on a platform that prioritizes clean air, environmental justice, green jobs, and more. Food & Water Action is proud to endorse Sara’s campaign.
At a recent Food & Water Action event, our Pennsylvania Director Megan McDonough spoke with Sara on the importance of this race, the threat of the fracking industry, and her vision for a better future.
Below is an excerpt from Megan’s interview with Sara, edited for clarity and length.
On the Regional and National Significance of the Office of Allegheny County Executive
What makes this County such an important place for both state and national politics?
When we’re electing our national leaders, people are always looking at where Pennsylvania is going. And here in Pennsylvania, our counties are responsible for the administration of elections.
In the past, we’ve done an excellent job counting our mail-in ballots and administering elections. But we still don’t exercise the full potential of our elections division; we could be putting out ballot boxes and making it more convenient for people to vote early.
We have such an opportunity to go further, to decrease every barrier possible, so that as many people as possible can exercise their right to vote. And the excitement and infrastructure we’re building in the County, reaching the 1.25 million people who live here — that’s infrastructure we can turn over into 2024.
Why is the county executive such an important position? Why should people care — whether they live in Allegheny County or elsewhere?
Back in the day, we had a heavy industrial sector and we had — and still have — some of the worst air quality in the country. But the County passed regulations before we even had a federal Clean Air Act.
It’s the county executive and their Department of Health — not the EPA, not the state Department of Environmental Protection — that crack down on polluters and issues permits.
When we talk about the amount of pollution we’re releasing from Western Pennsylvania and its impacts, that is within the purview of the county executive. That’s one reason why this role is so consequential; not only for people who live here, but for our region and across the state.
On the Threat of Fracking in Allegheny County and Beyond
What are the risks of expanding fracking for people who live outside of Allegheny County?
Just last week, I met with folks from Dimock, who I’d been in contact with during my time as a state representative. They’ve been without water, because fracking companies came in and took what was theirs. To this day, they still do not have clean water.
And these guys from Dimock told me that one of their friends — someone who had handled fracking waste — passed away from a rare type of poisoning that he likely got from doing that job, and which he got paid $12 an hour to do.
All three of them — because of their constant exposure to fracking waste and chemicals — are sick. Their families are sick. They’re watching their neighbors die of cancer.
Elected officials are the protectors of public health, public safety, and the commons. Previous officials have let companies destroy all of those things in the name of jobs and corporate profits. We can’t let that stand any longer.
When we make decisions about what industries we invite into our backyards, the voice of the community is most valuable. We have this opportunity to set ourselves on a new path away from extraction. To not only begin clean-up and right the wrongs from the past, but also offer opportunities and participation in this new green economy.
And, we want this to be a regional effort. That’s where we’re going to make a real and tangible difference — not only in the lives of the people here in Allegheny County, but throughout our region, and across the state.
We mentioned the parks ban earlier, the first successful anti-fracking initiative at the County level. Would you support expanding that as a county executive to other County-owned lands, or possibly County-wide?
Absolutely. We believe we have the legal options and that we can exercise the full power of our Department of Health to write an ordinance that will give us the opportunity to ban fracking. That would be an incredible win not only for the County, but throughout the Ohio River Valley.
It’s good for our economy, too, because we’ve seen time and time again how oil and gas companies come in and say, “This is how many jobs we’ve made. Look at all this money we’ve made.”
And then we see what’s happened to communities that are heavily fracked over the course of 10 years. They’ve lost population. They’ve lost jobs. The income per capita has declined, and devastation has been left in the wake. People are sick. They are without clean water, and they can’t use their farmland or any other green space.
So this is going to set us on a course of saying, “We’re ready for a new economy, one that’s more inclusive, one that is justice-centered.” We’re ensuring that prosperity is shared, especially in places that have been left behind for far too long.
We’re planning and creating the jobs of the future. We can say, “We’re not only going to shut things down, but we’re going to bring in jobs and companies.” We’re going to invite companies that are part of our community and care deeply — that don’t just throw some money at a public works project here and there, but are truly a part of the community.
That way we can get all of these things. We can win on the environment, we can win on good public health, and then we can win on creating prosperity that is sustained and that is shared.
On the Relationship Between Public Health, Justice, Jobs, and Climate
How do you plan to tackle the problems of polluters and public health? And are you open to meeting with people to come up with those solutions?
Absolutely. I believe that being an elected official and governing is a team sport. Most importantly, that means working with people who are most impacted by policy decisions being made in halls of power that they typically are not a part of.
We need to go into communities that are impacted by industries and government inaction. And we need to rebuild the Health Department — specifically the Air Quality Division — so we can enforce better, strengthen our health and safety standards, and incorporate environmental justice into our permitting decisions.
We have a Clean Air Fund, and when the past county executive administration fined industrial polluters, that money was supposed to be directed to citizens who have been most impacted by pollution. For so long, it has been a mystery where that money has gone. The way that the fund has been used has not been transparent, and there are millions of dollars in it.
It would be a small but meaningful gesture to reinvest that money into communities that have been disproportionately harmed by our industrial polluters.
Last year you finished the legislative session by passing the Whole-Home Repair Act. Congratulations! Why did you work to write and pass that bill? And what do you hope will come out of it?
I live in a very rapidly gentrifying urban neighborhood. I have seen development come into my community, which was traditionally very working class. My neighbors were being offered cash for their homes, and rents were rising. They weren’t able to benefit from the investments that finally came after decades and decades of waiting.
Not only did I see my neighbors go through it. When I was a teenager, my dad suffered from addiction. My mom, my sister, and I left him, and we went from having this really solid middle class life to losing our stability and losing our home. I know how important it is for everyone to have a safe, stable, and healthy home. That really drove my work as a State representative.
And we can’t think about things like housing in a silo. We have to think about them in an intersectional way.
In Western PA and across Pennsylvania, climate change is manifesting as more intense rainfall, happening in a shorter amount of time. Basements are flooding, more homes are susceptible to landslides. Our infrastructure — including our most vital infrastructure, our homes — is deteriorating faster.
I knew that with a home repair program, we would have an opportunity to tackle many things. We would be able to help people stay in their homes, especially in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. Having a home repair can make a huge difference in sparking an upward spiral of community development and community investment.
And, by weatherizing and making homes more energy efficient, we’re reducing our overall energy use. The bonus is that this work cannot be outsourced. People who live in the region must do it. So the money that we are investing in these types of repairs, it’s circulating in the local economy.
On What It Means to Support Her Campaign
We are less than one month out from the election. As in any campaign, the last few weeks are critical. Can you tell us why it’s important for people to get involved right now, and how they can do that?
We’re at a critical point in this campaign where we have the polling. We know that when people know about this campaign, they are more than likely bought in.
We’re inviting them to participate. We are saying, “There is plenty of room for you because we are a multi-racial, multi-generational, working class-centered campaign. There is room for all of us.”
And so your time, your money, your networks — they are invaluable at this point in the campaign. That’s what we need on election day. We need to make sure that we’re exhausted. That we have reached every single person that we are capable of reaching. Because that’s the way that we are going to build a better world. That’s how we’re going to make sure that we have key re-elects next year, and we protect what we value most.
That’s what your investment means. It’s an investment in me. It’s an investment in this vision. And it’s an investment in the future of democracy and this green economy that we are going to build together.
Help us support candidates like Sara and a fracking-free future!
When that Norfolk Southern train first derailed in East Palestine, vinyl chloride was one of the top concerns. In the days after, officials on the ground burned more than 100,000 gallons of it from five of the derailed train cars.
Now, more than a month later, officials have found distressing levels of dioxins, toxic byproducts of burning vinyl chloride, in the soil around East Palestine.
Vinyl chloride and dioxins may have come under the spotlight most recently in February, but they’ve been harming communities for decades. And if our current plastics boom continues unabated, their threat to us will grow.
We can’t let this happen. That’s why Food & Water Action and our allies are calling for a ban on vinyl chloride.
Vinyl Chloride is a Public Health Nightmare
Vinyl chloride is a colorless, flammable gas used to make PVC, a common plastic. Researchers have linked it to cancers, harm to the nervous system, and birth defects.
There is no safe level of exposure, and yet we find vinyl chloride in nearly every corner of our lives. It’s in our cars, our packaging, the siding on our houses, and the pipes that bring water to our faucets. It’s in our furniture and in the gift cards and toys we give to our children.
We also find vinyl chloride in the water we drink and the food we eat. Notably, it leaches into our water through PVC pipes. Our water supply and farmland are further threatened during chemical spills like that in East Palestine.
Even worse, as the train derailment reminds us, burning vinyl chloride releases dioxins. These carcinogens can also damage our hormonal, reproductive, developmental, and immune systems.
Dioxins from industrial processes or accidents like that in East Palestine have contaminated the crops and animals we eat. They can persist for years, and take just as long to travel from the air to soil to food, and ultimately into our bodies.
Making Plastic from Vinyl Chloride Endangers Workers and Communities
Vinyl chloride is used almost entirely by the plastics industry, at great risk to both our health and our climate.
PVC plastics are harmful throughout their lifecycle, from the raw materials to disposal. These plastics and the vinyl chloride required to make them pose major health risks to workers and surrounding communities.
Researchers have found vinyl chloride in the air around manufacturing and processing plants, hazardous waste sites, and landfills. The chemical also threatens the communities through which it travels, as we’ve seen in East Palestine.
At the same time, workers exposed to high levels of vinyl chloride have reported a range of health issues. Those include joint and muscle pain and even changes to their finger bones.
Vinyl chloride’s hazards fall especially on low-income communities and communities of color. That’s because much of the country’s vinyl chloride is manufactured in Black and Brown communities in Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky.
These communities are unfortunately well-acquainted with pollution, largely from the petrochemical and chemical industries. In Louisiana, along one 85-mile stretch of the Mississippi River, rates of cancer have risen so high that the region has been dubbed “Cancer Alley.”
Vinyl Chloride and PVC Will Keep Growing If Dirty Industry Gets Its Way
Vinyl chloride isn’t just a public health issue; it’s part of our climate crisis, as well. Fossil fuels, specifically ethane sourced from fracking, are used to produce vinyl chloride.
In 2022, ethane production hit a new monthly record, and that number will only grow if the PVC market expands as predicted.
This trend is likely to worsen thanks to the vinyl industry’s lobbying. Over the years, its leading trade group, the Vinyl Institute, has spent millions on those efforts. For instance, the Insitute has countered efforts pushing the EPA to regulate PVC waste as hazardous.
Right now, it’s pushing for more water systems to use PVC pipes, rather than traditional metal ones. This would risk vinyl chloride contamination in our water supply, endangering public health and our right to safe water.
So far, these efforts are paying off. The four member chemical companies in the Vinyl Institute have all announced multi-million or billion-dollar expansions to their PVC operations in recent years.
What’s more, as we replace fossil power with renewables, the growth of vinyl chloride and plastics would serve as a lifeline to fossil fuel corporations.
That’s already happening in Western Pennsylvania, just 20 miles away from East Palestine. In Beaver County, PA, a Shell cracker plant has recently begun operations turning ethane into plastic. Already, the plant has violated its permits for air pollution — it spewed as many toxic volatile organic compounds in September 2022 as it was permitted for the entire year.
We Can’t Let Vinyl Chloride Pollution Continue
We don’t have to live with vinyl chloride, and we don’t have to let the vinyl lobby or the frackers win. We have alternatives to PVC plastics that we could be using, and we have laws that the EPA could wield to regulate and even ban toxic chemicals.
Food & Water Action, the political arm of the national advocacy group Food & Water Watch, is endorsing three candidates for Allegheny County Council: Dennis McDermott (District 11), Dan Grzybek (District 5), and incumbent Bethany Hallam for the at-large seat.
The organization has spent the past five years building a strong grassroots presence in Allegheny County, working with residents to restrict fracking activities in 25 municipalities and scoring a major victory to ban fracking in county parks.
In her first term on the County Council, Hallam led the charge to pass a ban on fracking in county parks, and also pushed to expand voting access – showing that she is already a leader in standing up for the people of Allegheny County.
McDermott was previously the Allegheny County Canvass Director for Food & Water Action, giving him direct experience in community engagement. His campaign is emphasizing expanding public transit and holding polluting corporations accountable.
Grzybek is running for County Council to increase our sustainability efforts, improving local air quality and holding corporate polluters accountable.
“We are thrilled to support these progressive champions as they work to make Allegheny a safer, more sustainable place to live and work,” said Food & Water Action Pennsylvania Director Megan McDonough.
In 2022, Food & Water Action knocked on tens of thousands of doors and made nearly half a million calls to Allegheny County voters, helping to elect Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio to Congress.
Food & Water Action has already knocked on 6,000 doors talking to voters about the county executive election. The group endorsed Sara Innamorato in late February.
Update (November 8, 2023): Yesterday, the voters of Allegheny County chose Sara Innamorato as their next County Executive. After the corporate-backed, $1.3-million attack campaign against her, Sara’s victory showed the strength of people power over corporate cash.
Food & Water Action is proud to have mailed 1,600 handwritten letters and knocked on 41,000 doors to support Sara this year. We congratulate her on her win, and we look forward to her future plans to expand voting access, hold polluters accountable, and more.
Update (May 17, 2023): In yesterday’s six-way primary, Sara Innamorato won the Democratic nomination for Allegheny County Executive. She will face her Republican opponent in November but is likely to become the next County Executive, thanks to the region’s strong Democratic base.
Sara’s victory shows that bold progressive candidates who serve the people, not profit, will win — even in places like Allegheny County where, historically, corporate polluters have dominated the political landscape.
Moreover, Sara’s win shows the strength of people-powered, grassroots efforts. To that end, Food & Water Action knocked on more than 40,000 doors in support of her campaign. We look forward to Sara’s term as County Executive, as she fights against corporate polluters and for a brighter, greener future for all County residents.
Hers is the latest victory for progressive candidates in the region, including Food & Water Action’s 2022 endorsed candidate Rep. Summer Lee and our supported candidate Rep. Chris Deluzio.
In our efforts to slow down climate change and stop the greedy corporations behind it, local fights matter. We’ve seen how city and county elections can move the needle, especially in key regions.
Take Western Pennsylvania. The region had a huge influence in the 2022 midterms. It helped elect a Democrat as governor and keep the U.S. Senate blue. It also voted two new progressives, Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio, into the House to represent districts in Allegheny County.
Now, in the lead-up to 2024, Allegheny County’s local elections are the most important of this year.
Home to the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County has faced a long history of extractive, polluting industries. But in this year’s elections, it has a huge opportunity to forge a new future. Our longtime ally, State Rep. Sara Innamorato, is running for County Executive, the most powerful position in the county.
The impact of this election extends far beyond Western Pennsylvania. If Rep. Innamorato wins this election, she will enact game-changing voting rights policy. In such an influential county, getting more voters to the polls could be decisive in next year’s national elections. The turnout here may even decide our next president.
That’s why Food & Water Action is throwing our support into Allegheny County’s elections.
The Race Is On in Allegheny County
Since the birth of the steel industry, Allegheny County has been subject to the whims of big corporations. Now, the steel industry has abandoned its workers and left behind a legacy of poor air quality and pollution.
In more recent years, fracking companies have set up shop. They’ve brought even more pollution, while pumping climate-wrecking gas out of the ground. The fossil fuel industry has further targeted the region for petrochemical and hydrogen hubs.
But the residents of Allegheny County are starting to fight for a different path. They’re showing up for progressive candidates that hold polluters accountable. That includes County Executive candidate Rep. Innamorato.
The office of County Executive enforces pollution regulations and can leverage the county’s multi-billion-dollar budget toward climate action. It makes decisions on policies, protections, and investments that have huge impacts in Western PA and beyond.
We Need Bold Leaders Who Will Fight for Us, Not Corporations
Past leaders have allowed a host of bad actors to act with impunity in this region. Those include major polluters and huge corporations that put profit over people. For too long, Allegheny County’s elected officials have failed to hold these bad actors accountable. In fact, they’ve often worked with them.
But in this May’s primaries, Food & Water Action is supporting a challenger with a track record of standing up for families — and against powerful special interests.
Sara Innamorato has represented Allegheny County in the Pennsylvania House since 2018. She’s helped pass legislation that protects families from rising costs, creates good jobs, and tackles the climate crisis head-on.
As Allegheny County Executive, Innamorato will continue that work: from protecting us from criminal polluters, to helping families save money on energy costs, to improving labor standards and creating new jobs in growing industries.
Rep. Sara Innamorato fights for us, not corporations.
Expanding Democracy in Allegheny County Could Make or Break 2024
Electing Rep. Innamorato isn’t just essential for Allegheny County’s future — it will influence the results of next year’s national elections. That’s because Allegheny County is the second-largest source of Democratic votes in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state. We’ll need a strong turnout here if we’re to keep the White House blue.
Unfortunately, the County has failed to prioritize voter turnout in recent years. The current County Executive has refused to authorize programs that would expand democracy.
For example, elsewhere in Pennsylvania, early voting sites open on the weekends before Election Day. That makes voting easier for working-class residents who work during the week. But Allegheny County hasn’t approved early voting stations. It’s also voted against policies that would make it easier for residents to vote by mail.
As County Executive, Rep. Innamorato would change this. With her deciding vote on the Board of Elections, Allegheny County would finally enact programs to make voting more accessible for more residents.
A victory for Rep. Innamorato would majorly boost Democrats’ chances in 2024, including in the race for President. These victories are essential to make way for the food, water, and climate policy we need.
How We’re Electing a Climate Champion in Allegheny County
For the past five years, Food & Water Action organizers have worked on the ground in Allegheny County. We’ve gone town-by-town, passing municipal ordinances to protect communities from fracking. We’ve knocked on doors and supported progressive candidates in key races.
Now, we’re pouring our efforts into this race. We’re mobilizing our national volunteer network and the grassroots power we’ve already built in the region. We’ll be writing thousands of letters and knocking on tens of thousands of doors to ensure a strong turnout.
The fight for Allegheny County will be a big one. Fossil fuel interests have had the region in their grip for years, and they’ll fight hard to keep it that way.
With new threats like petrochemicals and hydrogen on the horizon, we need a champion in office who will defend County residents. That champion will also defend surrounding communities that are threatened by dirty industries, too.
Allegheny County can move boldly into a brighter, greener future; one that prioritizes working families, public health, and the existential threat of climate change. But getting there requires progressive leaders like Sara Innamorato, who won’t back down from the action we need.
With your help, we’ll elect bold, progressive leaders in Allegheny County and beyond!
