CLIMATE POWER 2020 ANNOUNCES STATE CO-CHAIRS
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Washington, D.C. – Today, Climate Power 2020 announced 36 state co-chairs, a coalition of leaders and activists who reflect the diverse, grassroots movement needed to embolden our leaders to take bold action to address the climate crisis.
Two-thirds of the country, according to polling from Yale University, is concerned about climate change and think President Donald Trump and Congress should do more to address climate change. Yet Trump and his congressional allies are ignoring experts, refusing to believe in science, surrendering our government to big oil executives, and gutting public health protections – all at the expense of future generations.
Climate Power 2020 is a national campaign with a focus on Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. These state leaders will partner with Climate Power 2020 to demonstrate that climate is a winning issue for candidates up-and-down the ballot and to put the Trump administration on defense.
Members of the State Co-Chair Advisory Board include:
Arizona
State Senator Rebecca Rios, State Representative César Chávez, State Representative Kirsten Engel, Arizona State Director of Mi Familia Vota Eduardo Sainz, and Co-Executive Director of LUCHA Arizona Alejandra Gomez
Colorado
Mayor Pro-tem and Aurora City Councilwoman Nicole Johnston, Mayor of Nederland Kristopher Larsen, Vice-Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party Howard Chou, and Co-Chair of the Colorado Latino Forum Ean Thomas Tafoya
Florida
State Senator José Javier Rodríguez, Former Mayor of South Miami Dr. Philip K. Stoddard, Former Deputy Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State at the U.S. State Department Dr. Frances Colón, and the Founder of The Smile Trust and New Florida Majority Campaign Director Valencia Gunder
Georgia
Director of Black Green Agenda with the New Georgia Project Valerie Rawls, Executive Director at Georgia Conservation Voters Brionté McCorkle, Assistant Professor of Environmental & Health Sciences at Spelman College Dr. Na’Taki Jelks, Sustainable Smyrna board member Natasha Dyer, and Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Harambee House/Citizens For Environmental Justice Dr. Mildred McClain
Michigan
State Senator Mallory McMorrow, the Founder, CEO, and President of Black Millennials 4 Flint LaTricea Adams, Regional Organizing Director at the Sunrise Movement Nicholas Jansen, and community advocate Lauren Bealore
North Carolina
State Senator Erica Smith, Founder and Executive Director of RETI -Renewable Energy Transition Initiative DeAndrea Salvador, and Director of North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light Susannah Tuttle
Pennsylvania
Mayor of Pittsburgh Bill Peduto, State Representative Sara Innamorato, and State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta
Wisconsin
Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley, State Senator Jeff Smith, State Senator Chris Larson, former Mayor of Madison David Cieslewicz, and Managing Director of LIT Milwaukee Darrol Gibson
Additional Members
Tyler Olson, a City Councilmember and clean energy business owner in Cedar Rapids, IA, Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones of Nevada
The state co-chairs join an already formidable collection of Advisory Board members, including Founder of Fair Fight and the Southern Economic Advancement Project Stacey Abrams, Rhiana Gunn-Wright, Co-Author of the Green New Deal, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Founder/CEO, Ocean Collectiv, Former Secretary of State John Kerry, Climate Strike Partnerships Coordinator at the Future Coalition and co-founder of the International Indigenous Youth Council Thomas Lopez, Former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, Former Senator Harry Reid, Investor, Philanthropist, and Founder of NextGen America Tom Steyer, Varshini Prakash, Executive Director, and Co-Founder, Sunrise Movement, and Jamal Raad, Co-founder and Campaign Director, Evergreen Action, among others.
Recent Climate Power 2020 polling has shown Latino voters, people under 35 years old, African Americans, and Republican-leaning women, are more likely to strongly support a candidate who takes concrete action to combat climate change. That motivation increases significantly after hearing about Trump’s failed record on climate change. If mobilized, these individuals would force a conversation on climate change and force anti-science candidates, including Trump, to defend policy failures and corruption, and to campaign aggressively on climate policy.
By elevating the climate crisis in national and state conversations and aggressively putting the Trump administration on defense for selling our future to his special interest friends, Climate Power 2020 will build the momentum necessary for bold action in 2021.