2009 State League Election Results

State League Environmental Victories 2009!

California

In the Special Congressional election for California’s 10^th CD Democrat John Garamendi, formerly Deputy Interior Secretary in the Clinton Administration, ran his campaign on support for global warming legislation and against more offshore oil drilling.  Garamendi won his race by 16%.

Idaho (won all 5 of their endorsed races)

In Boise, conservation backed candidates took control of the city council, when all five of Conservation Voters Idaho’s endorsed candidates won their races!

Ø      TJ Thomson – Boise (with 57%) OPEN SEAT

Ø      Maryanne Jordan – Boise (with 61%) INCUMBENT

Ø      Vern Blistered – Boise (with 71%) INCUMBENT

Ø      Mike Kennedy – Coeur d’Alene (by only 5 votes!) INCUMBENT

Ø      Gary Smith – Star (with 51%--by 21 votes) CHALLENGER

Maine

There was good news for the environment as TABOR was soundly defeated (60-40) in its third time on the ballot.  The scale of the rejection might mean that the issue is finally being put to rest up there.

Massachusetts

MLEV endorsed incumbent Mayor Thomas Menino who bucked the anti-incumbent tide to win an unprecedented fifth term!  Facing what the Boston Globe called “his fiercest challenge yet,” Menino turned to his environmental record to help convince voters to re-elect him, prompting MLEV’s first Mayoral endorsement.  

Montana Won 11 out of 16 endorsed candidates

Montana is celebrating the election of some fabulous pro-conservation candidates who sailed to victory in Bozeman, Helena and Missoula.  Eleven of the 16 candidates backed by Montana Conservation Voters won their races (69%).

 Ø      A trifecta victory in Bozeman resulted in the election of Sean Becker to an open mayoral seat. Chris Mehl and Carson Taylor won open Commission seats. All are MCV members..  

 Ø      Banner news in Missoula’s Ward 2 was the victory of Roy Houseman over incumbent John Hendrickson (57%-43%), who had a 13% score on MCV’s Missoula City Conservation Scorecard.  Incumbent Marilyn Marler, W6, a conservation champion who narrowly won her 2005 first-time race, won re-election 67% - 33%.   MCV also backed incumbents Dave Strohmaier, W1, who won 76%-24%; Bob Jaffee, W3,  (76% - 24%). 

 Ø      In Helena, Dick Thweatt, MCV member and community planning expert, was the top vote getter, picking up an open seat vacated by a pro-conservation commissioner. 

 Ø      Council member Jim Ronquillo won re-election in Billings Ward 1 63%-37%. 

 Ø      Steve Caldwell, Livingston City Commission incumbent, won re-election to ensure a 3-2 conservation majority.  

New Jersey

In New Jersey, the “Green Acres” environmental bond act (this was a big one) eked out a 52-48 victory.

New York

Ø      Environmental champion Michael Bloomberg (R) bucked the strong anti-incumbent trend in the metro area to win 51% to 46%.  Bloomberg made environmental concerns central to his campaign and his administration.

Ø      The NYLCV won all of its City Council Tier One target races:

·        District 26 - Jimmy Van Bramer

·        District 33 - Stephen Levin

·        District 39 - Brad Lander

Ø      Nassau Co. Executive (and environmental champion) Tom Suozzi currently leads by 237 votes with some 11,000 absentee ballots yet to be counted.

Ø      In the Nassau Co. legislature NYLCV Tier One Target (and champ) Dave Mejias is trailing by 28 votes as they go to the absentees.

Ø      Environmentalists won handily on a land-swap ballot question that expanded the State Forest Reserve boundaries.

Ø      Former NYLCV staffer, Daniel Mackay, was elected to the Town Board in the New Scotland.

Virginia

With the lopsided margin in the Governor’s race, there was a strong Republican undertow in the Virginia legislative races this year. The Republican House was able to fortify itself, picking up at least 5 additional seats, bringing their total to 60. Democratic candidates who featured the environment prominently in their campaigns and messages proved much more successful in fighting it than their less-green colleagues.  Overall, 22 of Virginia’s 38 endorsed candidates were victorious. Just under 40% of Virginia voters participated in the November 3^rd General Election.

Ø      In HD-52 Democrat Luke Torian won with 52% of the vote, picking up an open seat vacated by former Virginia GOP Chairman Jeff Frederick despite being massively outspent by his Republican opponent.

Ø      In HD-93 (Newport News) VLCV canvassers helped propel Democratic challenger Robin Abbot to a 54%-46% victory over Republican incumbent (and ranking member of the Appropriations committee) Phil Hamilton. Creigh Deeds lost by 4.1% in the district.

Ø      HD-21 Democratic incumbent and environmental champion Bobby Mathieson benefited from an extensive door-to-door canvass by VLCV. They are now in the recount/challenge process.  Mathieson is trailing by only 16. Deeds lost by 19.5%.

 Ø      In HD-23 (Lynchburg) Democratic incumbent Shannon Valentine lost by only 210 votes in the face of a heavy turnout on the campus of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University. Deeds lost by 23.4%

 Ø      In HD-34 (McLean), Democratic incumbent Margi Vanderhye lost by only 300 votes. Deeds lost by 7.1%

Washington won 41 out of 56 races (4 are still too close to call)

Ø      Environmental champion Dave Somers reelected to the Snohomish County Council 54%-46%

Ø      First time candidate Amber Waldref was elected to the Spokane City Council 63%-37%

Ø      Tabor Initiative defeated state wide 57% - 43%

Ø      Environmentalist Dow Constantine was elected the King County Executive 57% -43%

Ø      Seattle City Council Candidate (and Sierra Club organizer) Mike O'Brien won 57-41