Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100

Sierra Club Endorses Gopal, Houghtaling & Downey for 11^th Legislative District

The New Jersey Sierra Club announced our endorsement of Vin Gopal for State Senate as well as Eric Houghtaling & Joann Downey for State Assembly today. Vin Gopal is running against Senator Jennifer Beck in the 11^th legislative district. Assemblywoman Downey and Assemblyman Houghtaling are both incumbents. Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling already have very good environmental records in the Assembly. With almost 20,000 members in New Jersey, Sierra Club is committed to helping our endorsed candidates win various elections by contributing volunteers to the campaign, going door-to-door, making phone calls, helping with fundraising, and in other ways. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club released the following statement:

“We are proud to announce our endorsement of Vin Gopal for State Senate. I have known Vin a long time and he will bring dynamic leadership to the Senate. This is one of the most competitive races in all of Senate and is one of the most important for the future of the legislature. We strongly support Vin Gopal because he will stand up for the environment, especially for clean energy and clean water as a Senator. He will fight to deal with climate change, not vote against putting New Jersey back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. It is really time for a change in the 11^th district and Vin will bring that change. We need new leadership that does not go in lock step with Governor Christie or will try to block the next Governor’s progressive agenda. Instead of siding with Governor Christie’s rollback of environmental protections, he will work to overturn them. With Vin and Phil Murphy, we can move forward with green jobs and address climate change. Vin will make sure our water is safe to drink, our air is clean, and our environment is protected. We need the 11^th district to win with Vin.”

“We are also here to endorse Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling for Assembly. In the age of Trump, we need a legislature to work together and fight all of the federal rollbacks. Gopal, Downey and Houghtaling will help build a green wall around New Jersey. With all the threatens happening in Washington D.C., it is more important than ever to have legislators in New Jersey fighting to protect New Jersey’s environment. We need them work to help pass important legislation to achieve 100 percent renewable by 2050 and overturn all of Governor Christie’s rollbacks and attacks on the environment. This is a team that we look forward to work with to tackle climate change, stop offshore drilling, and protect our clean water. The 11^th district needs to Go with Gopal, Downey and Houghtaling.”

The 11th Legislative District includes Monmouth County municipalities of Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Colts Neck, Deal, Eatontown, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Long Branch, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury Township, Tinton Falls and West Long Branch.

The Sierra Club is not only the nation’s oldest and largest environmental group, but one of the most influential when it comes to making political endorsements. As Tittel describes it, “The Sierra Club endorsement is the green version of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”  

Today’s endorsement event took place at Sunset Memorial Park in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Pictures from the event will be sent out shortly.