NY League of Conservation Voters Endorses Harckham for Senate

New York State Senator Pete Harckham received an endorsement on Monday, Aug. 3, from the New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) for his re-election bid at a news conference that was held at Croton Point Park.

Harckham, who is finishing his first term as a state senator, is campaigning to return to Albany and continue representing the 40th Senate District. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Presenting the NYLCV’s endorsement was the organization’s president Julie Tighe, who remarked, “Senator Harckham is committed to protecting our environment and public health. Not only did he earn a perfect score of 100% on our 2019 State Environmental Scorecard, he also supported policies that improve water infrastructure and remove toxins from the environment, which are some of the League’s key priorities. That’s why we are proud to stand with Pete in his reelection, and we urge voters in Senate District 40 to cast their ballot for him on Election Day.”

In thanking Tighe for the NYCLV’s endorsement, Harckham said, “It means a great deal to me that the League has singled out my efforts and is ready to stand next to me through this campaign. Your endorsement is a validation of my work, but also that of my colleagues in the Senate’s Democratic majority. Together, we have fought for protections of our fragile drinking water supplies. We have fought for freshwater wetlands and marsh protections. We have fought for clean air. And we have fought against the reckless rollbacks of environmental laws at the federal level from the Trump administration.”

Harckham’s work on the Westchester County Board of Legislators from 2008 to 2015 included major achievements on behalf of environmental protections. As a legislator, he helped pass a crucial phosphorus reduction bill and put together a partnership between the State and NYC which implemented septic requirements near Westchester reservoirs.

Once in the Senate, Harckham has “continued to impress residents and stakeholders with his energy, determination and forward-thinking,” said Tighe. The leading sponsor of legislation among freshman senators, Harckham recently had several major environmental bills passed by the State Legislature.

One bill, which Pete sponsored with Assemblyman Sean Ryan, protects 40,000 miles of waterways that are used for drinking water, fishing and recreation by adding Class C streams to those waterways included the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Protection of Waters Regulatory Program. And to help NY meet our renewable energy goals outlined in the CLCPA, Senator Harckham removed the parkland alienation requirement for small-scale solar projects.

Harckham noted that his priorities continue to be protecting clean water and fragile drinking water supplies, battling climate change and pushing for sustainability through initiatives like the Restore Mother Nature Act, a $3 billion investment in various environmental and eco-smart projects that has been put on hold for a year while the state deals with financial issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Also joining Tighe and Harckham at today’s announcement were Ann Gallelli, deputy mayor of Croton-on-Hudson; Frank Farrell, a Cortlandt Town council member; and Catherine Borgia, a Westchester Legislator, who expressed her strong admiration for Harckham’s character and work ethic before announcing her endorsement for his candidacy as well.

The New York League of Conservation Voters is the only non-partisan, statewide environmental organization in New York that takes a pragmatic approach to fight for clean water, healthy air, renewable energy, and open space. It educates New Yorkers about environmental issues and how governmental decision-making impacts lives, and guides discussions on many levels on sustainable policies that will lead to future safeguards of natural resources.

Here is a link to view the archived Facebook Live video of the news conference.