NRDC Action Votes Recognizes Efforts of Rep. Joe Cunningham

NRDC Action Votes recognized the efforts of Rep. Joe Cunningham in his re-election bid from South Carolina’s first district.

While he came up short in the end, Cunningham’s pledges to fight offshore drilling and address the risks of climate change earned him broad support from voters in this highly competitive district.

NRDC Action Votes ran radio ads with LCV Victory Fund highlighting Cunningham’s efforts to stand up to oil drillers and address toxic pollution. The ad campaign was specifically designed to reach Black voters. These issues are crucial to voters in this coastal district, many of whom are reliant on a clean ocean for their livelihoods in tourism or fishing.

This year’s election results across the nation have proven that protecting the environment and addressing climate change are winning issues politically. In fact, Cunningham’s Republican opponent, Nancy Mace, also campaigned against offshore drilling.

“The real loser in this race is the oil industry, which has succeeded in uniting voters all along the Eastern Seaboard against it,” said Jossie Steinberg, director of NRDC Action Votes. “While we are disappointed that voters did not re-elect Joe Cunningham, it’s clear that he ran a strong campaign in a difficult environment.”

NRDC Action Votes, which launched just this year, is an independent political action committee that works to promote the goals of the NRDC Action Fund, including working for protection of wild lands, healthy air and water, and addressing climate change.