The Sierra Club of Massachusetts has announced its endorsement of Mike Connolly for State Representative in the 26th Middlesex District of Cambridge and Somerville. The election will be decided in the Democratic primary on Thursday, September 8.
David Rudolph, political chair of the Massachusetts chapter, says:
We can count on Mike Connolly to a be an active, clear eyed and pragmatic advocate for the environment and sustainability in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Mike has a record of effective leadership on environmental issues in his own Cambridge community and in building coalitions of residents, climate experts, city officials and environmentally focused organizations. Mike led the drive in Cambridge to advance a groundbreaking proposal for net zero carbon emissions that has become a model for other cities. As a Cambridge City Councilor’s aide, Mike played a key role in implementing a working single use plastic bag ban in Cambridge, the largest municipality on the East Coast to do so. He is well informed on the region’s energy, transportation and climate sustainability and sees the big picture and the details.
We feel Mike is the candidate better prepared to be a legislative leader on environmental and climate issues. We enthusiastically endorse Mike to represent the 26th Middlesex District."
The Sierra Club endorses candidates who are committed to their mission of protecting the Earth’s natural environment. In order to receive the support of the Sierra Club Massachusetts chapter, candidates must meet rigorous endorsement criteria; including a multi-issue questionnaire and a demonstrated commitment to environmental advocacy.
In 2013, Connolly organized a coalition of residents, activists, institutional stakeholders, and city and state officials to advance a groundbreaking proposal to target net zero carbon emissions in Cambridge. The result, Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan, has won praise and support from world-famous environmentalist Bill McKibben, and has become a model for other communities across the Commonwealth.
The next year, Connolly was hired to work as a legislative aide in Cambridge City Hall, where he helped draft policy orders and organized committee meetings to promote renewable energy, sustainable development, and cycling infrastructure, including the Grand Junction Community Path. Connolly also worked closely with Sierra Club leaders to help shape Cambridge’s groundbreaking Bring Your Own Bag ordinance, which made Cambridge the largest city on the East Coast to ban single-use plastic bags and the first city in the Commonwealth to require a fee for paper bags.
On receiving the Mass. Sierra Club endorsement, Connolly says, “As an activist, advocate, and committed environmentalist, it is truly an honor to have the support and endorsement of the Sierra Club, an organization that has been taking action for the environment since 1892 and has been at the forefront of sustainable energy, forest preservation, clean water, clean air, and environmental justice. I look forward to continuing to work with the Sierra Club and joining with other leaders in the Massachusetts House to make progress for our community and our planet.”
