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.”
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.
Food & Water Action, the political arm of the national advocacy group Food & Water Watch, is endorsing State Representative Sara Innamorato in the race for Allegheny County Executive.
The organization has spent the past five years building a strong grassroots presence in the county, working with residents to restrict fracking activities in 25 municipalities and scoring a major victory to ban fracking in county parks.
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. The organization has shifted their capacity towards getting Innamorato elected in 2023, having already knocked on nearly 6,000 doors talking to voters about the county executive election.
Food & Water Action Pennsylvania State Director Megan McDonough released the following statement:
“Sara Innamorato has been a champion for working families in Allegheny County. As a state representative, Sara authored the Whole Home Repair Program, and passed this game-changing climate bill into law. She will fight to crack down on the polluters that harm the health of our communities, because she understands that we have the tools we need to keep major sources of pollution away from our homes and schools. Allegheny County deserves a leader who is willing to take on the toughest fights to build safe, healthy communities. Sara Innamorato has proven herself to be exactly that leader.”
Last night in his State of the Union address, President Biden remarked on a number of topics related to his climate and energy agenda, including related provisions of the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act. In response, Food & Water Action Executive Director Wenonah Hauter issued the following statement:
“Last night President Biden rightly identified the climate crisis as an existential threat driven by the fossil fuel industry. Yet his energy agenda boldly encourages expanded oil and gas drilling and fracking across the country. Rather than pushing for a quicker end to fossil fuel development, President Biden is approving new drilling at a quicker pace than Trump did. There couldn’t be a greater contradiction in Biden’s statements and actions.
“President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is wasting billions to encourage fossil fuel industry-promoted schemes like carbon capture and hydrogen energy, and he’s pushing to increase fossil fuel exports around the world.
“Meanwhile, fossil fuel giants including BP and Shell are already walking back weak commitments to reduce emissions, seeing no reason to act on climate when the administration is giving them the green light to keep drilling and fracking. If President Biden really wanted to rein in exorbitant fossil fuel industry profits, he would act to halt their polluting, climate-killing practices – not encourage them.”
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.”
Tonight, Governor Kathy Hochul was elected to her first full term as Governor of New York, thanks in large part to progressive turnout from climate organizations like Food & Water Action. Her victory over Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, brought climate policy into stark focus: Zeldin relied on baseless industry talking points to call for renewed fracking in New York, while Hochul pledged to uphold the state’s fracking ban law, safeguarding public health, safety, water and climate.
Since day one, the climate movement has pushed Governor Hochul to stop the construction of two new fracked gas plants in the Hudson Valley and New York City, to deny key permits for a fossil fuel powered crypto-mining facility in the Finger Lakes, and to make real steps toward banning fossil fuels in new buildings statewide. Her budget, due in January, will be key for continuing this climate action.
Food & Water ActionNortheast Region Director Alex Beauchamp issued the following statement:
“In Governor Hochul’s first term, New York has taken serious strides to move off fossil fuels. With the strength of New York’s voting majority now behind her, she can finish what she started.
“Hochul’s first full term must be one of bold policies to break our state’s destructive reliance on fossil fuels. That should start with signing the fossil-fueled crypto-mining moratorium sitting on her desk, and the inclusion of the All Electric Building Act in her budget due next year.
“We were proud to send our members to the polls to vote for Hochul. Now, let’s get back to work moving New York off fossil fuels.”
