The Sierra Club of NJ has revoked its endorsement of CD2 Rep. Van Drew, instead backing challenger Amy Kennedy.

Saying Van Drew ‘abandoned’ South Jersey’s conservation values, Director Jeff Tittel said ‘he withdrew his support for the environment and we withdrew our support from him’.

The club released the following statement:

The Sierra Club announced today that it has made an historic retraction of its endorsement of Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew in favor of Democratic Nominee for Congress Amy Kennedy.

“Jeff Van Drew abandoned South Jersey’s conservation values and legacy of wilderness protection in an effort to maintain his political career by tying himself to the most toxic President for our environment in the nation’s history; we no longer trust anything he says. He withdrew his support for the environment and we withdrew our support from him” said Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club Chapter Director. “Amy Kennedy is a true champion for the environment who won’t stray from her values when the going gets tough. She’ll fight to tackle sea level rise and to power our region with clean energy, bringing jobs to renew our local economy amid the many unprecedented difficulties the area faces.”

Given the Trump administration’s continued threats to our clean air, water and public lands, it is more important than ever to elect environmental champions like Kennedy.

Van Drew claims that he will protect our lands and is against offshore drilling, but voted in support of Trump’s Executive Order (EO 13817) which would ease safeguards and protections for leasing and mining on public lands. He also claims that he believes in climate change and supports our nation staying in and abiding by the Paris Climate Agreement, but he voted to strip federal funding to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UN Convention on Climate Change.

IN RESPONSE TO THE SIERRA CLUB ENDORSEMENT, AMY KENNEDY RELEASED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

“I’m honored to have the Sierra Club’s endorsement, especially during a time when the effects of climate change are devastating communities across the country. We cannot allow passive leadership when the climate change poses an existential threat to our district—from the Jersey Shore to the South Jersey farms that make up the majority of agricultural land in our state,” said Amy Kennedy. “Protecting our environment is critical to both our economy and our identity in South Jersey. In Congress, I will fight to protect our air, land, water, and shores and to make our communities more resilient.”

Alongside it’s endorsement, the Sierra Club will lend its volunteer strength to Kennedy’s campaign.

“We pledge to do all we can to help ensure Amy Kennedy is elected,” said Dick Colby, Political Chair of the South Jersey Group of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Sierra Club volunteers across South Jersey will contact voters on Kennedy’s behalf and speak to the public about her history of environmental stewardship.”