The group’s St. Petersburg-based political action committee praised the Tallahassee mayor’s environmental track record.

ST. PETERSBURG – The Sierra Club announced Friday (Sept. 14) its endorsement of Andrew Gillum for Florida Governor.

Gillum established a strong track record of environmental protection while Mayor of Tallahassee. He has a wonderful, refreshing vision for protecting Florida’s natural treasures, combatting the causes of climate change, and ensuring clean air and water for our families and our wildlife, according to the St. Petersburg-based Sierra Club Political Action Committee.

Gillum is the right person for Florida’s most important job, the group said.

“We are convinced that he will clean up the environmental mess that Gov. [Rick] Scott is leaving us with,” Frank Jackalone, the group’s Florida director, said in a press release. “Gillum will stop the releases of polluted water that fuels Florida’s devastating toxic algae water crisis; he will stand firm against plans to drill for oil and gas in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s coasts; he will manage the state’s growth and fully fund the state’s conservation land acquisition program to protect Florida’s natural areas, wildlife, and water resources; and he will convert Florida into a leader for clean, renewable energy. He will tackle climate change as the cause of rising seas, hotter weather, and stronger hurricanes, unlike Gov. Scott, President [Donald] Trump and his opponent who bury their heads in the sand and refuse to even talk about climate change.

“By contrast, Mayor Gillum’s opponent Ron DeSantis has a terrible track record in Congress, scoring just 2 percent on the League of Conservation Voters environmental scorecard for his three terms in Congress. That means that DeSantis voted against the environment 98 percent of the time! DeSantis’ “environmental plan for Florida” released just this week is filled with empty promises, few facts, and fewer details, and he omits any reference to climate change, clean energy, or the state’s desperate need to manage growth again. His plan to address the state’s water crisis by forming a commission to study red tide is irresponsible; immediate action is needed by the next governor to protect Florida’s coastal tourism economy that has been crippled by killer red tide and other types of toxic algae.

“The Sierra Club is pleased by Mayor Gillum’s choice of Chris King as his running mate. Chris King is a business leader with good values and principles, and he is dedicated to restoring Florida’s Everglades and protecting our coastal estuaries from red tide and other algae blooms. We are impressed by his commitment, knowledge, and energy, and are convinced that he will make a terrific lieutenant governor.

“The contrast between Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis couldn’t be greater. Gillum is an environmental champion with a proven track record who has the foresight and leadership skills to protect Florida’s people and natural resources, while DeSantis, a former member of Congress with a terrible environmental voting record, merely echoes the failed policies of Rick Scott and Donald Trump.”

Tallahassee Mayor Gillum is a Democrat running against Republican DeSantis for Florida governor in the Nov. 6 general election. The last day to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 9.

For information about Gillum, go to andrewgillum.com.

Sierra Club | Andrew Gillum | Environment | Election | Politics | Tampabay News

#SierraClub #AndrewGillum #Environment #Election #Politics #TampabayNews