FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Climate Cabinet Action
Contact: Drew Anderson, drew@climatecabinet.org
February 2, 2023

Climate Cabinet Celebrates Minnesota Senate, Four Senate “Climate Slate” Champions Passing 100% Clean Electricity Legislation

In the 2022 elections, Climate Cabinet helped four of its five state senate Climate Slate champions (eight overall) win at the ballot box – flipping the Minnesota Senate to a pro-climate majority

Feb. 2, 2023 - Climate Cabinet Action (CCA), the “Moneyball” of climate politics, released the following statement by executive director Caroline Spears celebrating the Minnesota State Senate passing Senate File 4, legislation that would set a 100% clean electricity standard for the state by 2040. The vote followed partner legislation passed by the Minnesota House last week by a vote of 70-60

CCA financially backed nine priority candidates for the MN legislature in the 2022 midterms, including five in the state senate. Four senate candidates won, helping secure the pro-climate senate majority by a single seat. 

“Minnesota is now on the cusp of becoming the 12th state to legislate 100% clean electricity in the near future, and it’s all thanks to voters who flipped the Minnesota Senate to a pro-climate majority in 2022. These voters elected climate leaders like Heather Gustafson, Nicole Mitchell, Bonnie Westlin, and Aric Putnam – candidates who ran and won on fighting the climate crisis. Now, Minnesota will have a brighter future and stronger economy because climate leaders are putting families and communities ahead of corporate special interests. 

The climate movement went to work to make this opportunity possible in Minnesota, and Climate Cabinet Action (CCA) was on the frontlines in this critical fight. CCA provided its four winning senate Climate Slate champions the tools they needed to win, securing a pro-climate majority in the state senate by a single seat. This work will continue in the 2024 elections. Climate Cabinet will work tirelessly to protect the climate gains made in the Legislature and the policies supported by Minnesota voters.” - said Caroline Spears, executive director for Climate Cabinet. 

SF4 unlocks the clean energy future and will power the next generation of sustainable economic growth in Minnesota. Moving to a 100% clean energy future will clean up local air and water pollution, lower household bills, and create high-road jobs in communities across the state. These are the Minnesota values the 9 Climate Slate candidates ran on and won. Today, they delivered on their campaign promises and are demonstrating what it means to be a national leader. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Climate Cabinet made Minnesota’s state elections an immediate, early priority for the 2022 midterm year because of the transformational potential a climate majority would bring to the state. Too often, these down-ballot races are overlooked by voters and underfunded by political organizations. In endorsing pro-climate candidates early, CCA provided critical resources like funding and climate-based strategy to its nine Climate Slate champions – five for Minnesota House races and four for Minnesota Senate campaigns – and helped eight achieve victory on Election Night. 

###

About Climate Cabinet Action: Down-ballot elections - including state legislative and municipal elections - are too often under-funded and ignored by the average voter. Enter: Climate Cabinet Action, the “Moneyball” of climate politics. Climate Cabinet targets state and local elections that would provide the greatest “return on investment” in the fight against climate change and helps those candidates win at the ballot box. From critical funding to field or communications services, Climate Cabinet provides pro-climate candidates the tools they need to succeed in elections. Learn more by visiting www.climateslate.com

Subscribe to Climate Cabinet’s newsletter: https://www.climatecabinetaction.org/#Subscribe
Follow Climate Cabinet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Climate_AF