Dear Friend,
Last November, champions of democracy and our environment beat the political odds and are now taking office. This could not have been possible without our movement. When the pundits counted us out, you showed up and made your voices heard.

While we are disappointed that pro-polluter politicians like Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise now run the U.S. House, our pro-climate action candidates helped keep their majority razor thin. Advocates like you helped bring new leadership to elected offices across the country. We couldn’t be more excited to work with them to achieve a more sustainable, healthy, and just future.

LCV’s New Member Guide showcases the backgrounds and positions of dozens of newly elected federal candidates supported by our movement. Here are just a few environmental champions we think you should know about:
 

	Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) is the first Afro-Cuban member of Congress and the first federally-elected official from Generation Z. He is a former organizer with extensive experience with engaging youth. He has promised to enact bold policies that combat the climate crisis, prioritize working class families, and center environmental justice so that all communities have access to clean water, air, and healthy food.
	Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) is the first woman and first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent Vermont in Congress. She previously served as president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate. During her tenure, she has received perfect scores on the Vermont Conservation Voters’ Legislative Scorecard for her work helping to shepherd landmark climate and environmental justice legislation.
	Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) is the former mayor of Long Beach, California and has a history of championing environmental causes. Rep. Garcia has promised to fight for reduced pollution and to equitably address the impacts of pollution and climate change on the health and well-being of communities. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ immigrant elected to Congress and will serve as the president of the freshman class of House Democrats.
	Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) is an outspoken advocate for climate and environmental justice. As a member of Pennsylvania’s legislature, she fought fracking and cosponsored efforts to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050, implement energy efficiency tax credits, protect clean air and water, address PFAS pollution, and support community solar. She is the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.
	Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) was elected to the Illinois state Legislature in 2018, earning a 100% every year on the Illinois Environmental Council’s scorecard. She has refused to take campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry and was an early cosponsor of the landmark Clean Energy Jobs Act, which will transition Illinois to 100% clean energy by 2045. She is the first Latina to represent a midwestern state in Congress.

It gets better, Friend — our New Member Guide features 3 members of the U.S. Senate and 34 members of the U.S. House. LCV is committed to continue working with both new and returning members of Congress to protect our environment, public health, and democracy.

You can view or download the full New Member Guide in English (pdf) and Spanish (pdf).

Thank you for standing with our movement. We’re so excited to see what these new members can achieve with us in their corner.

Onward,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters