NASHVILLE, TN — Former Vice President Al Gore is encouraging voters to elect Heidi Campbell to Congress in Tennessee’s 5th District, contrasting her advocacy for climate action with her opponent’s opposition to recent legislation.
Gore, a lifelong Tennessean and well-known advocate for action to address climate change, issued a statement Tuesday saying Campbell would help build on the sweeping climate reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act passed in this summer by Democrats in Congress.
“We’re finally seeing real progress from Congress in the fight against the climate crisis, but you and I both know much of Congress refuses to recognize the urgency of this threat,” Gore said. “It’s the same story in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. Only one candidate is pledging to move our nation toward a more sustainable future and that’s Senator Heidi Campbell.”
On the campaign trail, Campbell has highlighted her support for investments in clean energy jobs in Tennessee, such as the Ford electric vehicle plant and GM’s new battery facility, as well as her past work on flood mitigation.
“We can fight climate change and its worst effects with clean energy investments in good American jobs that build our infrastructure to be more resilient against extreme weather and lower energy costs for families,” Campbell says. “Clean energy will make us stronger too. The record high fuel prices earlier this summer served as a stark reminder that we must focus on becoming less dependent on fossil fuels.”
Her opponent, Republican Andy Ogles, has publicly derided the Inflation Reduction Act, which will boost clean energy jobs in Tennessee, a state with four electric vehicle manufacturers, including GM in the 5th District.
“The time for leadership in the face of this threat has not passed. If ever there were a moment to send leaders to Washington who will fight for bold climate action, this is it,” Gore said. “On November 8, we have a job to do to protect our families and our future. We must elect Heidi Campbell to Congress.”
Al Gore’s statement:
This summer, Democrats in Congress delivered the single largest investment in climate solutions and environmental justice in the history of our nation.
We’re finally seeing real progress from Congress in the fight against the climate crisis, but you and I both know much of Congress refuses to recognize the urgency of this threat.
It’s the same story in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. Only one candidate is pledging to move our nation toward a more sustainable future and that’s Senator Heidi Campbell.
Heidi knows that taking action on the climate crisis helps our economy and protects the air we breathe and the water we drink.
By contrast, her opponent would help congressional Republicans try to repeal the latest climate law and undo the promise we made to our children and grandchildren.
The time for leadership in the face of this threat has not passed. If ever there were a moment to send leaders to Washington who will fight for bold climate action, this is it.
On November 8, we have a job to do to protect our families and our future. We must elect Heidi Campbell to Congress.
It’s amazing what a difference Congress can make, but it won’t happen without our support.
Vote for climate action.
Vote for Heidi Campbell.
