We were all surprised on Tuesday night. Many of us were left wondering- where do we go from here?

I am concerned about  potential rollbacks of the progress we have made on so many environmental issues but I am encouraged by the good that came out of this election. In Maryland, I am proud to work alongside a dedicated staff, board of directors, and coalition of environmental groups who will keep fighting climate change, restoring the Chesapeake Bay and waterways, and protecting our natural legacy for future generations.

Some good news here in Maryland:

  • Voters in Howard County took a stand for democracy by passing Question A, which will create a Citizens Election Fund to elevate everyday voters in our county elections. This ballot measure will help tear down barriers to running for office and ensure Howard County residents always have the access to their elected officials that they deserve. But this is bigger than just one county. Our nations ineffective campaign finance laws have long been a topic of local and national discussion. At Maryland LCV, we feel that we can never make true progress on the environment until we get big money out of politics. Tuesday night was a big step in the right direction and we are proud to have played a role in organizing the campaign. 

With your help, we also endorsed candidates for Baltimore City Council this year and did pro-environment mail in Baltimore City, supporting a message of clean water and air for all Marylanders regardless of where you live. We believe in environmental justice for everyone and we are proud to be working on this issue every day through the Latino community organizing we do with our Chispa Maryland program. And voters sent climate champions to Congress to fight for our future.

We should all be proud of the work we did individually and collectively to make progress in Maryland and regionally this election cycle. We will take lessons learned and come back even stronger to elect climate champions at every level of government in 2018.

You can bet that we will also continue working hard to hold our elected officials accountable and we’ll need your continued support every step of the way. In the coming months, we’ll be asking you to do your part by calling, emailing, and meeting with your legislators as we work to bring clean energy to Maryland, protect Maryland from the harmful impacts of fracking, and protect our waterways and open spaces.

But if you’re ready to get to work and start making a difference today, sign up to volunteer with Maryland LCV or support us in other critical ways.

States, particularly Maryland, have an opportunity and an obligation to continue demonstrating what environmental values look like and why it’s imperative we move forward together on addressing climate change – still the biggest threat to future generations.

Heartfelt thanks to all of you.

Sincerely, 

Karla Raettig, Executive Director Maryland LCV