Climate Slate Update

Did you see? This week, we added more climate and environmental justice champions to the Climate Slate, our shortlist of the top climate champions who need your support at a given moment in time. 

We need to build political power to tackle climate change, from the local level up. This means getting involved in races where we can win now – to elect champs who will shut down coal plants, hold the line against Republican attacks, or protect chamber control – and build for the long term.

The Climate Slate is made up of the highest ROI elections for climate impact. What kind of race makes it on the Climate Slate?

• City leaders who can transition public electric utilities off of fossil fuels: For example, the Climate Slate includes Barbara Buffaloe and Nick Foster, a duo of tested climate advocates running for Mayor and City Council in Columbia, Missouri. Columbia owns its electric utility, giving them the opportunity to lead the city away from its reliance on coal and fossil gas. Barbara even wrote the city’s Climate Action Plan! ‍ 
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• Energy justice advocates running to oversee utilities: When it comes to energy equity work in the South, Chandra Farley is a force to be reckoned with. After leading the Partnership for Southern Equity, Chandra recently announced her run for Georgia Public Service Commission, which oversees Georgia's monopoly utilities. We’re getting support behind her campaign early, when it makes the biggest impact, so she can build momentum for this critical statewide seat.
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• Climate champions holding the line and brokering bipartisan progress: This week, we’re adding candidates for North Carolina state legislature to the Climate Slate! The play in North Carolina is both offensive and defensive. It’s critical that the climate community invests in North Carolina to protect against a veto-proof anti-climate majority. At the same time, our Climate Slate champions will shore up the Legislative Climate Caucus and work to achieve bipartisan wins. 
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• Battle-tested climate legislators who can finally take the majority: In Arizona, we have the opportunity to flip the State House to a pro-climate majority – which will catalyze Arizona to its rightful place as a solar leader. Climate Slate candidates Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton and Andres Cano have been holding the line on defense – ready to leapfrog forward when they take the majority. 
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• Candidates in fossil-heavy regions that will determine our energy mix for decades to come: In Texas, our Climate Slate candidates are climate and worker champions in the Rio Grande Valley, a national battleground for climate, democracy and labor. Ruben Cortez and Sara Stapelton-Barrera are headed to a runoff in May, both against fossil fuel-backed Democrats. Their leadership can make South Texas the clean energy leader it should rightfully be.
  

• And more! We’re playing in battleground states across the US – From Virginia to Minnesota and beyond, we’ll keep updating the Climate Slate as candidate filing deadlines pass in high-impact races throughout the spring. Read more about the current set of high-priority candidates at ClimateSlate.com.

State and local policymakers alone can drive a 75% reduction of US emissions decisions, but they only receive 15% of the funding. Head over to ClimateSlate.com to support these critical climate champions – we’ve done the research, and we know these elections will maximize your “climate ROI.”