The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the political voice of the national environmental and conservation community, today announced its endorsement of Barack Obama in the Democratic primary race for the vacated Illinois U.S. Senate seat.  Barack will bring his proven leadership on environmental issues in Illinois to the U.S. Senate.

"As community organizer, civil rights attorney and a leader in the Illinois Senate, Barack Obama has built a career fighting for clean air, safe drinking water and the right of citizens to know about threats to their environment," said Betsy Loyless, LCV Vice President for Policy.  "Barack will be a real champion for our environment and the health and safety of Illinois citizens in the U.S. Senate."

Barack is one of only six members of the Illinois State Senate to receive a 100% Environmental Voting Record Award for 2003 from the Illinois Environmental Council.  In the state senate, Barack fought to raise standards on diesel emissions, co-sponsored legislation to promote renewable energy, worked to clean up the Lake Shore on the South Side of Chicago, and strongly supported Brownfields cleanup with the Illinois First environmental program.    

As the father of a five-year old daughter with asthma, Barack has a personal commitment to ensuring that we clean up smog and other pollutants in the air that contribute to asthma attacks among millions of children each year.  In the U.S. Senate, he will work tirelessly to make sure we clean up dirty power plants, develop cleaner sources of energy, reduce vehicle emissions and support strong enforcement of the Clean Air Act.

Through his work organizing some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, he mobilized public housing residents in the Far South Side where there is a high concentration of landfills and toxic dumping in the area.  As a U.S. Senator, Barack has pledged to alleviate environmental disparities that exist in some of our nation's poorest communities. 

"Barack has seen first hand the role that race and poverty play in exposure to environmental problems.  He is committed to making this a central part of his congressional agenda and we look forward to working closely with him on this and other environmental and public health issues," said Ms. Loyless.

For information on all of LCV's endorsed candidates, visit our Campaigns Page