Washington, D.C. – The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, which works to elect candidates who will support sound environmental policies, announced today its endorsement of Gretchen Driskell (MI-07) and Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) for Congress.

“Gretchen Driskell and Elissa Slotkin are tireless public servants and strong environmental allies,” said LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “They understand the importance of protecting the Great Lakes and will fight to grow Michigan’s outdoor recreation and clean energy economies. We are so pleased to endorse these two incredibly strong candidates, Gretchen Driskell and Elissa Slotkin, for Congress.”

“In Michigan, we are blessed with so many natural treasures, from our beautiful parks and forests to the Great Lakes. Yet too many in our state still struggle to access to clean air and clean water on a daily basis,” said Michigan League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Lisa Wozniak. “Gretchen Driskell and Elissa Slotkin are both dynamic new leaders who every Michigander can trust to always fight to protect our families, our communities and our environment.”

“It is an honor to be endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund.  LCV develops effective and thoughtful policies to support Michigan’s environment. The Great Lakes and all the amazing ways we enjoy our state’s incredible outdoors are vital to our identity, our economy, and our future as Michiganders. I look forward to working with LCV in Congress to continue to protect our water and environment here in Michigan,” said Driskell.

“LCV Action Fund is fighting to preserve and protect our environment here in Michigan, and I’m extremely proud to have their endorsement. I have spent my career in national security, and my view is that a threat to our environment is a threat to our security. Whether it’s protecting our Great Lakes and the businesses that depend on them, or ensuring access to clean air and drinking water, in Michigan we not only cherish our environment, but we depend on it to keep our families healthy, and our economy strong,” said Slotkin.

Gretchen Driskell has lived in Saline, Michigan for nearly three decades, and has served her community as mayor for 14 years. She was elected to represent Michigan’s 52nd House District in 2012 where she proved herself a strong environmental ally, earning a 92% lifetime score on the Michigan League of Conservation Voters’ Scorecard.  She has consistently voted to protect Michigan’s wetlands and wildlife, and sponsored legislation to protect the Great Lakes, provide greater oversight of fracking and oil and gas pipelines, protect children from pesticides and strengthen Michigan’s Renewable Energy Standard.

Driskell is running to unseat Representative Tim Walberg who has earned 4% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. During his five terms in the U.S. House, Walberg has been a reliable vote against the environment. A member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he has repeatedly voted against protections for clean water and clean air, and to undermine our public lands and clean energy economy.

Elissa Slotkin is a third-generation Michigander who has spent her career in national service. In response to 9/11, Slotkin joined the Central Intelligence Agency, serving three tours as a Middle East analyst in Baghdad. She served under both Republican and Democratic administrations at the White House, in the Office of the Director for National Intelligence, and served as a senior leader at the Pentagon. Slotkin led the development of the first Arctic strategy for the Department of Defense and helped to administer the first survey of how climate change is impacting U.S. military bases.

Slotkin is running to unseat Representative Mike Bishop, a two-term Republican incumbent who has received failing grades from the League of Conservation Voters every year since he has been in office, currently holding an abysmal 4% lifetime score. Bishop has consistently sponsored and supported anti-environment legislation, including a proposal that would allow for slant drilling of oil and gas under the Great Lakes without adequate environmental protections. Bishop, who raises the majority of his campaign contributions directly from corporate PACs, has drawn controversy for taking tens of thousands of dollars of campaign donations from the oil and gas industry.

Driskell and Slotkin are featured on LCV Action Fund’s GiveGreen website, the only website devoted exclusively to raising money for environmental champions for federal office. Last cycle, LCV Action Fund raised more contributions to candidates through GiveGreen than ever before—over $8.3 million for state and federal candidates.

About LCV Action Fund

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, the connected federal political action committee (PAC) of the League of Conservation Voters, works to elect candidates who will implement sound environmental laws and policies, and defeat those who stand in the way of progress. Since the 1994 election cycle, LCVAF has helped elect and re-elect 74 U.S. senators and 331 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.  In the 2015-2016 election cycle, LCVAF endorsed over 100 candidates and, since 2009, has raised and contributed more than $17.6 million dollars via GiveGreen. Over the last several years, our efforts have also helped elevate climate change and clean energy as critical issues in key elections.

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Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and authorized by Gretchen Driskell for Congress and Elissa Slotkin for Congress.