Governor’s Reelection a Major Environmental Victory

Seattle, WA –  Washington Conservation Voters celebrated the reelection of Governor Chris Gregoire – a critical environmental victory. Governor Gregoire campaigned on the issues of saving Puget Sound, tackling global warming and her strong environmental record. By contrast Dino Rossi brought his 32% environmental score from his time in the State Senate into the race and was out of step with Washington voters in his views on global warming.

Chris Gregoire has made the environment a priority for her administration and is recognized as a national leader on global warming. “We worked to reelect Governor Chris Gregoire because she has been a true environmental champion. We need her leadership for another four years to continue the important work of saving Puget Sound and tackling global warming,” said Kurt Fritts, executive director of Washington Conservation Voters. Al Gore’s support for Gregoire during the final weeks of the campaign underscored the importance of her re-election to the global movement to address climate change.

Recent polling by Washington Conservation Voters indicated that Washington voters overwhelmingly prefer candidates with strong environmental values. The outcome of this race illustrates a decades long pattern in Washington: whether a candidate is a Democrat or Republican, when running for statewide office, supporting environmental issues is the way to get there.

The Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) also played a critical role in this race. “The BIAW was an albatross around Dino Rossi’s neck,” said Fritts. “This is an organization that stands against environmental progress in Washington and the voters overwhelming rejected their agenda in this election.”

Washington Conservation Voters looks forward to continue working with Governor Chris Gregoire to preserve the beauty of our state, safeguard the health of our communities and protect our economic future.