WASHINGTON, DC— The California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) and the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund announced today their endorsement of Dr. Raul Ruiz for re-election to Congress (CA-36). Dr. Ruiz is a leader who has long fought to improve public health in California, and, over his two terms in Congress, has done so by supporting critical clean energy and conservation initiatives.

“It’s undeniable that Dr. Raul Ruiz, as a physician and public servant, brings vital authority and perspective to the fight against climate change,” said LCV Action Fund President Gene Karpinski.  “Dr. Ruiz has actively supported an array of clean energy solutions, ranging from bills creating public-private partnerships to sustainable transportation and energy-saving technologies for businesses and homes.  From every angle, he’s fighting for our clean energy future.”

“Congressman Ruiz fights tirelessly for his constituents in Riverside County, and is committed to protecting our state’s environment for our children and our grandchildren,” said California League of Conservation Voters CEO Sarah Rose. “He’s led efforts to protect public health and has made restoring the Salton Sea and ensuring that we have clean air to breathe and water to drink a top priority.”

“I am proud to receive the endorsement of the CLCV and the LCV Action Fund,” said Dr. Ruiz. “I have made creating clean energy jobs, defending our environment and improving the conditions surrounding the Salton Sea a top priority of mine from moment I first decided to run for office. I am excited to continue my partnership with CLCV and LCV to advocate on the behalf of our environment.”

Since being elected to the House of Representatives in 2012, Dr. Ruiz has built upon his impressive public health career, using his unique and powerful perspective to link public health, climate change and conservation.  The first Latino to earn three graduate degrees from Harvard—a Doctor of Medicine, a Masters of Public Policy and a Masters of Public Health—Ruiz has extensive first-hand experience in health care: he worked as an emergency physician, founded the Coachella Valley Healthcare Initiative and served as associate dean at the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside.  In Congress, Ruiz has become a key voice for public health and the environment.  As a member of the bipartisan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), and the House Natural Resources Committee, he has led important clean energy efforts, including sponsoring legislation to increase job training in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors.  In his district, Dr. Ruiz has fought to restore the Salton Sea, where receding shorelines are releasing harmful dust particles that can cause respiratory distress, and was a critical voice calling for the protection of the California desert that resulted in the designation of three new national monuments.

Dr. Ruiz has earned a 90 percent lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. The non-partisan Scorecard is the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental and clean energy issues. Based on key environmental votes in the House and Senate, it is often used by the media to quickly describe a Member’s record. For more information, visit https://scorecard.lcv.org.

Ruiz is featured on LCV Action Fund’s GiveGreen website, the only bundling website devoted exclusively to raising money for environmental champions for federal office.

About LCV Action Fund

The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund (LCVAF), 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 69 U.S. senators and 306 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.  In the 2013-2014 election cycle, LCVAF endorsed over 70 candidates and raised and donated almost $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 California League of Conservation Voters and authorized by Dr. Raul Ruiz for Congress.