Last weekend, Sierra Club celebrated it's anniversary - 125 years of fighting to preserve and protect our environment. But here at home, we've become confused by our Sierra Club Virginia Chapter.
We've learned that several weeks ago, under the radar, Sierra Club Virginia endorsed a set of candidates - all of whom are HoD incumbents. It's reasonable that they'd endorse incumbents earlier than other candidates. But we find three details distressing:
(1) Sierra Club Virginia endorsed Democratic incumbents David J. Toscano (HD 57) and Delegate Jeion Ward (HD 92), both of whom have primary challengers, without sending these challengers an endorsement questionnaire or engaging them on their policy views. Both of these challengers were thus excluded from the endorsement process, a reality that calls into question these endorsements themselves.
(2) In HD 10, Sierra Club Virginia endorsed Republican incumbent Delegate Randy Minchew. We don't know if Wendy Gooditis for Delegate was ever sent an endorsement questionnaire, but we suspect her views differ from the incumbent's.
(3) In the case of HD 57, the difference between Delegate Toscano and Ross Mittiga for Delegate (his primary opponent) is stark. Delegate Toscano supports the proposed Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines; Ross Mittiga opposes both. Delegate Toscano thrives on Dominion contributions; Mittiga rejects them. Delegate Toscano voted for the 2015 "Dominion Rate-Freeze Bill" (SB 1349) - a vote both Mittiga and Sierra Club members have critiqued. And Mittiga, unlike Delegate Toscano, supports a permanent ban on fracking and offshore drilling.
We understand that an endorsement process takes various factors into account, and Virginia’s Sierra Club explained the endorsement process in 2013:
“Before we endorse, candidates are evaluated. In addition to questionnaire responses and interviews, the following are considered:
- Candidate’s established policy record
- Breadth of candidate’s environmental record
- Candidate’s record of leadership on environmental issues
- Candidate’s demonstrated recent commitment to environmental protection in personal life or organizational activities
- Club’s past relationship with the candidate at the group, chapter and national levels
- Is the environment a significant issue for the candidate? for the campaign?
- Endorsements the candidate has received from other organizations and community leaders
- Third-party feedback about the candidate from reliable environmental activists who have had personal experience with the candidate
- The campaign’s resources and ability to carry out a visible and credible campaign”
But how do we explain the exclusive nature of the process as indicated in (1) and potentially (2) above? Or, in the case of HD 57, an endorsement transparent in its cynicism and acquiescence to raw power politics? Is there a Sierra Club Virginia endorsement committee that ultimately decides who to endorse?
What about other major Virginia non-profits - have any considered a democratic endorsement process, one that at least attempts to reflect the views of membership? There are plenty of national organizations (including unions) that endorse through transparent, democratic processes, and we suspect some exist in Virginia, too.
For those of us new to politics, we often depend on endorsements of trusted organizations to help us make decisions. It's therefore important to examine the bases of these endorsements, whether or not they reflect the views of membership, and whether or not they're based in the politics of the non-profit industry. Only then can we give them proper weight in our decision-making processes.
2017 HoD Incumbents Endorsed by Sierra Club Virginia:
Randy Minchew (10), Delegate Sam Rasoul (11), Delegate Kathleen Murphy(34), Mark Keam (35), Ken Plum (36), Delegate David Bulova (37), Kaye Kory (38), Vivian Watts (39), Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn (41), Mark Sickles(43), Paul Krizek for Virginia (44), Delegate Mark Levine (45), Delegate Charniele Herring (46), Patrick Hope (47), Rip Sullivan (48), Alfonso Lopez(49), Delegate Marcus B. Simon (53), David Toscano (57), Delegate Lashrecse Aird (63), Betsy Carr (69), Delegate Lamont Bagby (74), Roslyn Tyler (75), Delegate Jennifer B. Boysko (86), Delegate John Bell (87), Jeion Ward (92), Mike Mullin for Virginia (93), Delegate Marcia "Cia" Price (95).