The national advocacy group Food & Water Action is endorsing Ron Bautista in his campaign for Hudson County Commissioner.
Bautista has made the grassroots effort to stop the NJ Transit fracked gas power plant a central issue in his campaign, working to educate and engage residents about the dangers of building a major new source of air pollution in Kearny, where residents already suffer from some of the worst air quality in the country.
Bautista has also committed to protect locally controlled and affordable drinking water, and fight for a moratorium on all fossil fuel projects and a rapid and fair transition to 100% renewable energy in Hudson County.
“Hudson County needs bold progressive leadership to stop fossil fuel pollution and ensure safe, healthy communities for all,” said Food & Water Action New Jersey State Director Matt Smith. “Ron Bautista has demonstrated firm commitments to prioritizing the needs of people over the interests of fossil fuel polluters and corporate water profiteers, and he would bring that same energy and dedication to elected office.”
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!
This November, voters returned to the polls. While dozens of senators and hundreds of representatives campaigned for national seats, thousands more jockeyed for state and local offices. These midterms were full of make-or-break elections that stood to shape the path toward our collective future.
For months prior to those elections, Food & Water Action mobilized with allies around the country. We helped elect leaders committed to bold action on everything from climate, to corporate greed, to environmental injustices. And we could not have done it without our organizers, volunteers, and members.
As we prepare for the long work still ahead, we’re taking a moment to look back on all the progress we’ve made. Here are just a few of the victories we will build on in 2023.
1. An Early Win For a Climate Champion in New York
At Food & Water Action, we know that significant races for climate progress come at all levels, not just national. After years of work in the New York State Assembly, it was time to shake things up.
Though New York banned fracking eight years ago, lawmakers have dragged their feet on measures to pull the state into a fully renewable future. Despite momentum in the legislature, leadership failed to pass key bills that would have made huge progress on this front.
So this year, we rallied support for Democratic challengers who walked the walk, not just talked the talk.
In the Hudson Valley, we threw our weight behind climate activists like Sarahana Shrestha, who helped lead the victory to shut down a Danskammer fracked gas plant.
In June, Shrestha won a different kind of victory, unseating 23-year incumbent Kevin Cahill. While Cahill took thousands of dollars in donations from fossil fuel companies over his career, Shrestha won with zero corporate donations. She then carried her victory into the general election by an easy 20 points.
As she prepares to take office, we have sent a clear message: we can and will unseat those who slow-walk climate action. We can and will get out the vote for candidates who commit to bold solutions. And those candidates can and will win general elections.
2. Fighting Pipelines at the Ballot Box in Iowa
Over the past few years, Iowa has become a key site in our fight for clean water, a livable climate, and an end to polluting industry. Right now, the state faces a buildout of thousands of miles of hazardous pipelines — with or without landowner consent.
Despite a broad and vocal coalition opposing the projects, key state lawmakers blocked legislative action. So it was no surprise that pipelines became a major issue in this year’s midterms. Our polling found that 73% of voters were less likely to vote for candidates who support the projects.
And that opposition crystallized with the election of our endorsed candidate in the State Senate, Sarah Trone Garriott. This year, Garriott faced a redistricting that put her head-to-head with Senate President Jake Chapman — the same Senate President who blocked multiple bills that would have stopped pipeline projects in their tracks.
Sen. Garriott committed to choosing constituents over corporations and vocally opposed carbon pipelines. So we went big on our support for her, knocking on more than 7,000 doors and mobilizing more than 1,000 phone calls and hand-written letters to voters.
Her victory is a victory for everyday Iowans who are done with polluting industries. That includes not only pipeline corporations, but factory farms. Garriott also supports a state factory farm moratorium, which has become increasingly urgent as Iowans suffer a growing flood of factory farm pollution in their backyards.
3. Bringing Blue-Wave Sea Change To Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was a critical state in this year’s midterms for many reasons. For one, it’s the second-highest gas-producing state in the country. With the right elected officials, we can keep a lot of gas in the ground. For another, the purple state had a make-or-break impact on the Democrats’ Senate majority.
So we started local, endorsing two key races for the House in Southwestern Pennsylvania: those of Chris Deluzio, a progressive champion for workers, and Summer Lee, the only candidate in her primary to unequivocally oppose fracking.
Throughout the state, we turned out more than 220,000 phone calls, knocked on 20,000 doors, and sent 4,600 handwritten letters to get out the vote. As a result, not only did Deluzio and Lee win their races; our efforts also mobilized thousands of Pennsylvanians to vote blue in the tight races for governor, state legislature, and the U.S. Senate.
Now, the PA State House has a Democratic majority for the first time in 12 years. What’s more, at the national level, John Fetterman’s win helped maintain the Democratic Senate majority. With these victories, we have a baseline for crucial work coming down the line.
With Your Help, We Have Plenty of Victories Ahead
In the run-up to the midterms, pundits predicted that a “red wave” would crash through Congress. But with the work of thousands of organizers and volunteers, we turned that “red wave” into a puddle.
Our get-out-the-vote efforts turned out more than 433,000 phone calls and 8,760 handwritten letters to voters across the country. At the same time, our canvassers knocked on more than 27,000 doors nationwide.
The result: we helped keep Demorats’ control of the Senate and reduced Republican gains in the House to a barely-there majority. We also rallied support behind a growing contingent of progressive lawmakers like Lee and Shrestha. These victories will open new possibilities for clean water, safe food, and climate action in the years ahead.
Already, we are preparing for the next election cycle. It won’t be an easy battle. The growing number of extremists in the House and former-President Donald Trump’s entrance into the 2024 presidential race make that clear. But it’s a battle that we’re ready for, with your help.
All Giving Tuesday gifts are now matched $4-to-$1. That’s five times the power to protect our planet in 2023 and beyond!
We have worked for more than a year to ensure the victories we saw this week, and we will keep working, as long as we need to, to secure a livable future for all.
Against All Odds, We Have So Much to Celebrate
Food & Water Action began its work in every race with the same overarching goal in mind: Elect a candidate who will stand up for the issues we care about. A candidate who will work to secure safe food, clean water, and a livable climate for everyone.
This year, the odds were stacked tall against us. Historically, the winning party in the previous presidential race has rarely kept both seats in Congress in the following midterms. Pundits predicted we would see a “red wave” this year. But thanks to our work and your support, we shrunk the widely-predicted “wave” into a puddle.
While Republicans will barely squeak in a House majority, the Senate held blue — a result others thought impossible.
Our work blocked many extremists, climate-deniers, and corporate-backed cronies from gaining power in Congress. And with a Senate majority, we can advance a climate agenda in the next two years.
How We Defended Our Democracy and Our Planet
In the run-up to the midterms, we mobilized voters in key districts across the country. Our members and volunteers made calls, wrote letters, and knocked on more than 27,000 doors .
Of those, 20,000 were in Pennsylvania. When we began strategizing, we quickly realized that the state was full of make-or-break races. So we threw our weight behind progressives in important districts, endorsing Summer Lee in PA12 and supporting Chris Deluzio in PA17.
For the two candidates combined, we mobilized 202,000 calls to voters in their districts. Our members and volunteers sent out 3,000 handwritten letters to get out the vote on Lee’s behalf. And, on election day alone, we secured commitments from more than 700 voters to send three friends to the polls.
Not only did both Lee and Deluzio win their races — Pennsylvania saw its own blue tide. Our work helped turn out folks voting blue down the ballot. The state now has a Democratic governor and inches toward a Democratic State House.
Moreover, John Fetterman’s win for PA’s second Senate seat helped clinch Democrats’ majority. Now, they have the chance to strengthen that majority in Georgia’s December runoff election.
Wins like those in Pennsylvania bring us closer than ever to real climate action. They also show that leaders with bold visions, advocating for bold solutions, can and do win. Progressive victories across the country send clear signals that voters want real change, now.
Beyond These Midterm Results, We’re Continuing the Fight
We’re taking a moment to celebrate the victories, but we know our fight is far from over. Every day, the planet becomes more unlivable. Every day, industries spew pollution into our air and our waterways. Corporate greed still has a stranglehold on our economy. Prices continue to rise and company profits reach historic highs.
With so much on the line, we are jumping right back into the fray. First, we’ve already begun working with allies in the House and Senate to keep extremism in check. Just as importantly, we’ll continue working with communities across the country to block fossil fuel projects and keep oil and gas in the ground.
We’re also mobilizing people to push President Biden toward decisive action. His executive authority can move us forward on addressing the critical threats we face. From cutting down climate pollution, to protecting our water, to holding greedy corporations to account, Biden has the power to deliver for everyday workers and families.
Finally, we know that the growing extremism in the House underscores the challenges we will face in the 2024 election ahead. That’s why Food & Water Action is setting a long-term strategy to secure a Democratic government. We are working toward a Congress and administration that will help us achieve a livable future for all.
In the morning after election day, several Senate races and dozens of House races remain undecided. Though we don’t yet have final results, nor a complete picture of which party will control Congress, one thing is absolutely clear: we stopped the predicted red wave. Democrats won key races across the country, and the relentless work of Food & Water Action and our dedicated members and volunteers made a real difference.
Last night showed a historic rejection of the regressive forces that were desperately trying to claw their way back to power. Voters across the county said “No!” to corporate shills, climate deniers, and would-be authoritarians bent on undermining American democracy.
Food & Water Action is proud to have stood at the center of this battle for the future of the country. And we are excited to see our endorsed and supported candidates prepare to enter the halls of Congress, several for the first time.
In the months before the midterms, Food & Water Action and our allies rallied behind progressive candidates and drove voters to the polls. Thousands of our members and volunteers joined this effort, making nearly 500,000 calls to voters and knocking on more than 27,000 doors across the country. Our work has paid off in key races across the country. Here are just a few:
John Fetterman Turns Pennsylvania Senate Seat Blue
In an evenly divided Senate, we knew that every opportunity to flip a seat mattered. Not only did we have to keep the majority — we had an opportunity to make Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), the conservative tie-breaker, irrelevant.
In a huge get-out-the-vote effort, our organizers knocked on 20,000 doors and made 220,000 calls in Pennsylvania. We also secured more than 1,000 commitments from voters to call on at least three friends to make their voices heard at the polls.
While the fate of the Senate remains unclear, John Fetterman’s win vastly improves Democrats’ odds of keeping their majority there, and even making Manchin irrelevant.
Chris Deluzio Clinches PA Battleground District
Pennsylvania’s 17th District saw a battleground race between a Republican corporate exec and Democratic newcomer Chris Deluzio. Food & Water Action knew early on that this race would be crucial. By election night, our volunteers and members knocked on 20,000 doors and generated more than 92,000 calls to voters in this district.
Deluzio ran to defend democracy, unions, and working families. On the campaign trail, he’s promised to take on corporate power and grow union jobs in clean energy. Clearly, his message resonated. And the resulting victory was instrumental in shutting down a red wave in the House.
Summer Lee Shakes Things Up in Fracking Country
Despite millions of dollars weaponized against her and dirty tactics on her opponent’s behalf, Summer Lee has clinched a victory.
Lee will serve the 2nd-most gas-producing state in the country, smack dab in the middle of the fracking-plagued Marcellus Shale region. She was not only a strong progressive candidate in a battleground state — she was the only Democrat in her primary to call for a ban on fracking.
We knew we had to show up for Summer Lee and work hard on her behalf. Over the past few months, Food & Water Action generated more than 112,000 phone calls and 3,000 handwritten letters getting out the vote for her. At the polls, we handed out “Summer Voter” stickers to anyone who texted friends reminding them to vote, resulting in 2,160 reminder texts.
Now, Representative-elect Lee will tackle environmental racism and support working families. She will crack down on corporate influence in politics. And she will fight for a Green New Deal and a 100% clean energy transition we need.
Maxwell Frost Becomes First Gen-Z Candidate in Congress
Our endorsed candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost is headed for Capitol Hill. The first Gen Z Congressmember, Representative-elect Frost brings his experience as a national organizer against gun violence to Florida’s 10th district.
Along with Food & Water Action, Frost gathered endorsements from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the AFL-CIO, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and a host of progressive organizations and lawmakers. His campaign has been a lesson in movement-building — not just mobilizing voters around a candidate, but around a shared vision for the future.
That vision includes tackling climate change, defending working families and marginalized communities, and securing a future safe for all.
Jamaal Bowman Stays Fighting For New York
When it came to NY16’s progressive incumbent Jamaal Bowman, we knew what he is capable of. That’s why we endorsed him — again.
For example, last summer, in the midst of corporate price gouging and rising energy prices, Rep. Bowman introduced the Emergency Price Stabilization Act. When enacted, the bill will empower the White House to set prices in key sectors.
We need more bold legislation like this — not only to fight rising inflation and protect working families, but also to respond to the looming threat of climate chaos on our economy. With Rep. Bowman still in Congress, we’re heartened to know we’ve kept a fighter in our corner.
No Matter the Results, We’ll Keep Defending the Planet
We are proud of these victories and these candidates. The results so far have made clear: when candidates speak up and mobilize around bold, progressive policies, they win.
That’s true on the national stage and in state and local races, including ones we supported like Iowa’s State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, who defeated the Republican Senate President, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
But as we wait for the midterms’ final tallies, we know that whatever the results, the fight continues. Every day, the planet becomes more unlivable and greedy corporations tighten their stranglehold on our economy.
In the weeks to come, we’ll be breaking down the results and strategizing with allies. At the same time, we will double down on our fight against election deniers, corporate mouthpieces, and puppets for polluting industries.
And our overarching goal remains the same: supporting candidates who will take the bold action we need to secure safe food, clean water, and a livable future for all.
Last night, Food & Water Action-endorsed candidate Sarah Trone Garriott ousted sitting Senate President Jake Chapman in Senate District 14.
The victory is retribution for Chapman’s prioritization of corporations over his constituents. During his time as Senate President, Chapman repeatedly placed the interests of corporate donors above those of his constituents, intervening on behalf of carbon pipeline companies to block multiple bills last session that would have stopped the pipelines from moving forward.
In the 2022 legislative session, groups rallied to pass legislation in the State House to prohibit eminent domain takings for the hazardous carbon pipelines proposed around the state. However, Chapman’s State Senate blocked the legislation, despite it being placed on the agenda for a key committee.
In response, Food & Water Action spent $50,000 to fire Chapman. The group knocked on 7,000 doors, holding thousands of conversations with swing voters. They also sent three mailers to these households, educating them on Jake Chapman’s prioritization of pipeline companies over Iowa working families.
Trone Garriott is a staunch advocate for Iowans, not corporations. Her opposition to the use of eminent domain for hazardous carbon pipelines proves this.
Food & Water Action Senior Iowa Organizer Emma Schmit issued the following statement:
“Iowans are ready for politicians who will listen to the people, not corporate profiteers. Nowhere is this more obvious than with the hazardous carbon pipelines proposed for our state, which put all the risk on everyday Iowans and give all the reward to the projects’ corporate backers. Sarah Trone Garriott’s victory is a warning to Iowa politicians who put the interests of the companies bankrolling their campaigns over the needs of their constituents. Let Jake Chapman’s ousting be a reminder to the Jack Whitvers and Pat Grassleys of the world that we the people put them in office — and that we demand results.
“The next legislative session will be critical to stop the unwanted carbon pipelines proposed for our state. We are proud to work with Sarah Trone Garriott and her colleagues in Des Moines to stop these dangerous projects from taking root in Iowa. We’ll be fighting alongside her in the Capitol to ensure legislative leaders know what they have to do on day one of next year’s legislative session: stop the carbon pipelines.”
