| Friend,
On Tuesday, progressives across the country delivered a powerful message: our communities are going to fight back against attacks on our democracy and are tired of an economy that only works for corporations and billionaires. Voters showed up to demand fair energy prices, accountability, and a clean energy economy that uplifts middle-class families -- and the Sierra Club helped make that happen.
From recruiting members to volunteer with our endorsed candidates, to making sure that candidates prioritized a clean energy future in their campaigns, we worked to advance awareness of the interconnectedness between our planet, humanity, and democracy.
New York
Zohran Mamdani didn't just win, he lit up New York City and the entire country with a campaign rooted in affordability for New Yorkers and, most importantly, joy and hope. His commitment to grassroots power and working-class issues offers a blueprint to us moving into 2026. Mamdani spoke directly to the pain and promise of working New Yorkers, linking the fight for affordable housing and fair energy prices to the urgent need for climate action, including running on a pledge to support Local Law 97, which sets carbon limits for large buildings. The Sierra Club was one of the only major, national environmental organizations to endorse Mamdani.
His win is a reminder that politics can still feel like progress and that aiming big and doubling down on progressive values, not running to the center or backing down, is how we fight back against Trumpism.
New Jersey
While Republicans in New Jersey ran on Trump's coattails, promising to revert to fossil fuels and cancel clean energy projects, voters doubled down on progress, electing Mikie Sherrill. Our chapter endorsed Mikie in the primary and got to work engaging members to volunteer with her campaign and helping to elect a Democratic super majority in the assembly. Those volunteers are ready to get to work to fight back against Trump's threats to offshore wind and make energy affordable for New Jersey.
Virginia
Abigail Spanberger won a historic race for Governor with an astonishing 15-point win, making her the first woman to occupy the governor's mansion. Democrats also swept the AG and Lt. Gov races, and expanded their majority in the House of Delegates by flipping a whopping 13 seats with Sierra Club-endorsed candidates.
The Virginia chapter focused on four pivotal House races in more rural areas. The chapter's investment in voter outreach and member mobilization powered all four victories. In one seat, our endorsed candidate won by just 636 votes of the 43,134 total votes cast.
Georgia
Flipping two seats on the Public Service Commission was the shockwave of the night. For the first time in over two decades, Democrats have won a non-federal statewide office. And not only that, they did it in an off-year against two incumbents financed by utility companies. The PSC controls the state's energy future and can now deliver lower utility rates to Georgians, after years of the PSC rubber-stamping every request Georgia Power made to raise rates and invest in coal. The Georgia chapter mobilized members to canvass with our endorsed candidates and is ready to get to work, ensuring that Georgia retires coal and invests in renewable energy projects. This is a huge jolt heading into 2026, where control of the US Senate runs through Georgia.
Pennsylvania
Republicans in Pennsylvania sought to unseat three members of the State Supreme Court in a blatant attempt to undermine legal protections to voting in 2026. Voters overwhelmingly voted to retain the three pro-democracy judges.
California
Voters passed Prop 50, the effort to create more Democratic House seats, by a wide margin. This will take 3-5 seats from Republicans and help in efforts to win the House next year. Sierra Club California endorsed the measure and engaged in member volunteer efforts to support.
Mississippi
After years of a Republican super-majority in the state legislature, Democrats picked up one state House seat and flipped two seats in the state Senate, ending the years-long Republican super-majority. Victories like this just reinforce that when maps are fairly drawn and people feel like their voice will be heard at the ballot box, they show up.
Massachusetts
Sierra Club endorsed candidates won up and down the ballot in Massachusetts, including a challenger who opposed a local data center and unseated an incumbent. Notably, Mayor Michelle Wu retained a majority of supporters on the City Council, delivering a clear mandate to continue a progressive environmental agenda in Boston.
What's Next Tuesday's election results are more than just a series of wins across the country; they mark a palpable shift in momentum.
Voters across the country delivered a powerful message: they want elected officials to act, and they want big, bold ideas to bring us back from the crisis that Trump and Republicans in office have created. Voters want leaders who will lower their utility bills while also investing in a clean economy that works for working families.
We need progressive candidates who connect economic fairness with climate action and a strategy that includes structural changes like redistricting and ballot propositions. The Sierra Club is ready to channel this grassroots momentum into real change in 2026.
Onwards,
Sierra Club | 
