Our Water. Our Future. Our Vote.
Our clean water future is at a critical crossroads. The protections we’ve worked for generations to secure are under threat, and we cannot afford to lose ground. Thanks to the unwavering commitment of Clean Water Action members, one thing is certain: Americans want cleaner, safer water and stronger safeguards to protect it. Yet some politicians continue to put polluters’ interests ahead of the health of our communities and environment. It’s time to send a powerful reminder that our water is not negotiable.
The future of our water depends on the decisions made by those we elect to represent us. As Election Day approaches, the tens of thousands of Clean Water Voters we’ve connected with over the past several months have an opportunity to make their voices heard. With early voting underway and Election Day just around the corner, every ballot matters. In closely contested races, even a small number of votes can determine the outcome. This election is an opportunity for voters to consider where candidates stand on protecting our water, holding polluters accountable, and preserving our natural resources for future generations.
We need your voice.
We need your support.
We need your vote.
Key races to watch!
CALIFORNIA
Clean Water has endorsed in three key federal races in California, each interesting in its own way:
Mike McGuire (for Congress in District 1) has a unique opportunity to shift this district to more pro-environment representation following re-districting earlier this year. McGuire’s opponent in this race, anti-environmentalist James Gallagher, won the seat in a special election in June this year following the death of former Representative Doug LaMalfa. Gallagher has already been active in helping Congress hinder California’s environmental regulations, including protections around car emissions but while the redrawn district includes a much more environmentally friendly electorate, it still contains loyal Gallagher regions. But McGuire, who personally answered our questionnaire, is no political neophyte. He has a clear track record as a top leader in the California legislature and has the potential to win so long as voters who value clean water and healthy communities come out in force to support him. For more details, check out this KRCR TV coverage: Gallagher, McGuire to face off in November for newly drawn North State House Seat.
Connie Chan (for Congress in District 11) currently serves on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and is an exciting leader with a strong commitment to healthy communities and the environment. Chan’s opponent, Scott Weiner, has a mixed track record in the California legislature. Of greatest concern, Weiner supported efforts to weaken the California Environmental Quality Act, which could potentially make it possible for data centers to forgo environmental review.
Randy Villegas has emerged as an energetic challenger who will fight against the status quo, in a district with many environmental and health burdens. Randy supports community justice, clean water and clean air, and is not beholden to Big Oil or Big Ag, who will have a lot of influence in this district. The seat is currently held by David Valadao who has an anti-environment track record, voting against federal climate advances, clean air standards and public health protections.
Learn more about California's election endorsements here!
Michigan
Clean Water's teams in both Michigan and Washington DC evaluated all candidates and agreed: Abdul El-Sayed is the best candidate to represent Michigan in the United States Senate. In Michigan, his public health work in Detroit has been admirable. His commitment in his own campaign to refusing corporate PAC money and enthusiastic support of the Michiganders For Money Out Of Politics ballot initiative is inspiring. And his passion for protecting the Great Lakes, clean water, and clean air is clear. El-Sayed's opponent in the race, former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, has a long-standing-pro-fossil-fuel and anti-environment record, with an 8% life score on the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Scorecard.
In addition, Clean Water’s very first endorsement of this election cycle went to William Lawrence, a former Clean Water Action canvasser and Field Manager and Sunrise Movement Co-founder, running for Congress in CD 7. Will hasn’t taken a dime of corporate money and has worked closely with local activists fighting data center development in Michigan. While Lawrence’s opponent in the race, Rep. Tom Barrett, has never held an unscripted town hall in his two years in office, Will makes a point of getting out to meet and work directly with communities in his future district. We are excited to see what Will can do in Congress.
Learn more about Michigan's election endorsements here!
Minnesota
While Minnesota has a long list of candidates we are supporting for state legislative office, we are placing an emphasis on two particular federal races. We are proud to support Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate and Jake Johnson for Congress in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.
Peggy Flanagan has a strong record of protecting Minnesota’s environment and clean water. As lieutenant governor, she helped advance Minnesota’s landmark environmental agenda, including Amara’s Law, which restricts toxic PFAS forever chemicals in consumer products to protect our health, drinking water, and future generations. She understands that protecting our water means holding polluters accountable and preventing contamination before it happens.
Jake Johnson is bringing that same commitment to southern Minnesota. While incumbent Brad Finstad has relied primarily on scripted, pre-planned telephone town halls, Johnson has made in-person conversations with constituents a priority, holding town halls in all 21 counties of the First Congressional District. Johnson is also calling for stronger safeguards for water, farmland, and communities affected by data center development.
Minnesota deserves leaders who listen to their communities, stand up to polluters, and put the health of our families and the protection of our natural resources first. Clean Water Action Minnesota is proud to support Peggy Flanagan and Jake Johnson as champions for clean water and a healthier future.
Learn more about Minnesota's election endorsements here!
New Jersey
While New Jersey is focused on returning our large delegation of environmental champions to the U.S. House (7) and Senate (1), we are hyper-focused on replacing environmental disappointment, Thomas Kean in CD 7 to Rebecca Bennett, a real environmental leader.
Rebecca Bennett is new to the political arena but has a well-thought-out agenda on the environment and understands the direct connection between pollution and public health harms. In contrast, Tom Kean Jr., the incumbent, has a long history of voting against the environment in both the NJ State House and US Congress with very few exceptions. He has a 9% rating on LCV’s 2025 scorecard and scored an 18% (lifetime rating).
A win for Rebecca Bennett in this race would further increase the NJ delegation’s pro-environmental voices and votes in Congress as a whole.
Learn more about New Jersey's election endorsements here.
Pennsylvania
Overturning Pennsylvania’s CD7 is also one of Clean Water Action’s top priority races. The district is in the Lehigh Valley in the northeast region of the Commonwealth. Until 2009, Clean Water Action maintained an office in the area. The interest and excitement swirling around this race have given Clean Water Action an opportunity to reconnect with past supporters and build relationships with a whole new set of members.
Clean Water Action endorsed Bob Brooks in the race. Bob runs Brooks Lawn Care, a small family-operated snow removal and lawn care business, and is the union president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association. In his capacity as union president, Clean Water Action has collaborated with him and local International Association of Fire Fighters members over the past couple of years to advance state legislation that would protect the environment and the health of firefighters by prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS and requiring warning labels on Personal Protective Equipment that contains PFAS. Bob also knows we need energy that works for working families, not just big oil companies. It’s why he’s calling for creating good-paying union jobs in clean energy, protecting our air and water, taking on the climate crisis, and investing in the industries of tomorrow.
The seat is currently held by Ryan MacKenzie who is in his first term in Congress. In Congress, he has been a staunch supporter of President Trump’s agenda, including voting for the “One Big Beautiful Bill” which, among other things, gutted support for renewable energy sources. Ryan previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for a decade, where he amassed a 7% lifetime environmental voting record on our scorecards.
The impact of data center development has been a big topic in the Lehigh Valley. Congressman MacKenzie has been a flip flopper on the issue as public sentiment has changed. While in the state legislature, he voted for a 6% sales tax exemption that gave data centers tax breaks on some of the biggest costs associated with constructing and maintaining the facilities and to extend that exemption for up to 25 years. He also voted for early versions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that included a 10-year moratorium preventing state and local municipalities from regulating the construction and operation of data centers. Bob Brooks stood up for Pennsylvanians when President Trump called communities who don’t want data centers “backwards and poor,” saying our communities “deserve the right to decide what gets built in their own backyard.” Bob has also never wavered from arguing that data centers should be required to generate their own power rather than pulling heavily from the existing grid and that there is room for federal regulation related to electricity markets.
Learn more about Pennsylvania's election endorsements here!
Texas
Texas… Is Getting Interesting!
In the US Senate, the senior Senator from Texas, John Cornyn, was defeated in the Republican primary by sitting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Two challengers are running a tight race, and Clean Water Action has endorsed our long-supported, fresh-faced Texas House champion, James Talarico.
Candidate James Talarico was first elected to the Texas House in 2018 with our endorsement and was re-elected three subsequent times with our endorsement and support. His record on our issues is great: 95% and 93% respectively over his four terms in the Texas House as measured and reported by Sierra Club and Environment Texas’s scorecards.
Candidate Ken Paxton has a dismal record on our issues. As TX Attorney General, he sued the Obama and Biden administrations over 100 times, including successfully suing the Obama administration on the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which protects our drinking water sources. His lawsuits against Biden prevented new housing built with federal dollars from meeting higher energy efficiency standards and prevented states from tracking emissions from vehicles on highways. He also challenged Biden’s 2020 election victory in federal court. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House for numerous transgressions and likely would have been convicted by the Texas Senate had Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick not chosen to preside over the proceedings himself rather than appoint an unbiased outside judge.
With Trump’s unpopularity, backlash among Latinos due to the president’s immigration policies, Paxton’s well-known ethical lapses, and Talarico’s “fresh face” charisma have combined to create a long overdue chance for Democrats to win a statewide election for the first time since the late 1990s. Flipping Texas would have monumental impacts across the nation.
Texas is critically important to the overall electoral map, and a win here would go a long way towards putting a pro-environment majority back in the U.S. Senate. Texas continues to lead the nation in toxic emissions into the air and water, yet also has enormous potential to embrace a clean energy future centered on wind, solar, storage, and more. Talarico’s proven commitment to combating climate change and building a clean-energy economy can help redirect federal policy on climate and energy.
Learn more about Texas's election endorsements here.
YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE
Don't leave your vote to chance. Make a plan today!
☑️ Check your voter registration
☑️ Know your polling location
☑️ Explore early voting options
☑️ Decide when and how to cast your ballot
☑️ Encourage your family and friends to do the same!
