Dirty Dozen 2012

Senate : New Mexico

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/17/12

WASHINGTON – Today, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) named New Mexico Senate candidate and former Rep. Heather Wilson to its 2012 “Dirty Dozen” list. Wilson was named to the list during two previous election cycles (2002 and 2006). LCV's trademark “Dirty Dozen” program targets candidates for Congress — regardless of party affiliation — who consistently vote against clean energy and conservation and are running in races in which LCV has a serious chance to affect the outcome.

“Heather Wilson was one of Big Oil’s best friends when she was in Washington, and given the opportunity to return, there’s no doubt that she will continue to put polluter profits ahead of New Mexico families,” said Navin Nayak, Senior Vice President of Campaigns.

LCV plans to make the New Mexico Senate race a top priority this cycle. Additionally, LCV Action Fund has already raised more than $109,000 for Rep. Martin Heinrich via its GiveGreen website.

Wilson’s anti-conservation record:

• Wilson earned just a 15% LCV lifetime score during her time in the House. [LCV National Environmental Scorecard]
• Over the course of her political career, Wilson has taken $642,182 from the oil and gas industry, making her one of the top-20 recipients of oil and gas money to serve in the House of Representatives.  [Center for Responsive Politics; Center for Responsive Politics]
• Wilson consistently voted to protect tax incentives and loopholes for oil and gas companies while in office, and has vowed to protect oil subsidies in the Senate. [2/27/08; HR6, House Vote 40, 1/18/07; HR6, House Vote 132, 4/21/05; Albuquerque Journal, 12/4/11]
• Wilson rejected the overwhelming scientific consensus that human activity is contributing to climate change. [Albuquerque Journal, 5/2/08; Albuquerque Journal, 10/28/06]
• Wilson claimed that the EPA doesn’t have the “legislative authority” to limit harmful industrial carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act. [Newsmakers, 4/24/12]

Since 1996, 60 percent of the “Dirty Dozen” have been defeated. LCV has previously named Virginia Senate candidate George Allen, Montana Senate candidate Rep. Dennis Rehberg and Rep. Tim Holden to its 2012 “Dirty Dozen.” Rep. Holden was defeated last month in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district.

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Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters, www.lcv.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.