As Election Day Approaches, Environment New Jersey Endorses Gov. Phil Murphy For Re-Election

Trenton – Environment New Jersey today released its full slate of endorsements for the gubernatorial race as well as state legislative and mayoral elections, as it prepares to launch a get out the vote and voter education push state-wide and in key legislative races leading up to Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Environment New Jersey, on behalf of their more than 20,000 dues-paying citizen members, released its full support for the re-election of Governor Phil Murphy. The choice is clear for voters who care about environmental protection at the top of the ticket in the gubernatorial race. Environment New Jersey will be reaching out to the public, all of our more than 20,000 dues-paying members and more than 60,000 supporters to encourage voters to support Gov. Phil Murphy for a second term in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race.

“New Jersey needs a governor who will reflect the environmental values of our state, understands the urgency of climate change and make New Jersey a national environmental leader on climate and clean energy policy,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “Gov. Murphy’s environmental record makes him the clear choice for voters this fall. We need a governor who works to protect our air and water and fights to tackle climate change and builds a clean energy economy that doesn’t sacrifice our natural lands. We are proud to support Gov. Murphy to ensure we protect New Jersey’s natural treasures.”

In the last two years, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Murphy successfully supported and then signed into law bans on single-use plastics, including plastic bags and polystyrene, and legislation to establish the largest network of electric vehicle charging stations on the East Coast to jumpstart electric vehicles in New Jersey (as well as nation-leading EV rebate), as well as legislation to expand testing, notification and replacement of all lead service lines for schools and homes across the state suffering from lead contamination in their drinking water.

“We urge voters who care about the environment not to sit this election out,” said O’Malley. “Environmentally-minded voters state-wide should know how critical their vote is this year and why the Governor should be re-elected to stand up for our air and water. This year, your vote will count – stand up for the environment inside the voting booth and on your ballot.”

For the first time, voters will have the option for early in-person voting, starting on Sunday, October 23rd, in addition to voting at their polling location on Election Day, November 2, as well as the continuation of the vote by mail program, which has expanded voter participation in state races.

“Every election is important for the environment, but especially an election that will decide who sits in Drumthacket. This is an on-year election for the environment, and we’re going to work to ensure our supporters vote their environmental values,” said O’Malley. “We want to send a clear message to our supporters and public that their vote matters on the environment and Gov. Murphy deserves your vote.”

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Governor Murphy’s Environmental Successes

On the heels of entering office after the era of environmental rollbacks during the Christie Administration, there has been a string of environmental successes, ongoing initiatives and efforts still to come. Here’s a summary of some of the more notable positive sections of Gov. Murphy’s environmental record:

1) Strong support and signature of the electric vehicle bill (S2552) that established a mandate of more than 300,000 electric vehicles on the road by end of 2025, the East Coast’s most robust EV charging infrastructure, the nation’s largest EV rebate and a mandate to electrify NJ Transit buses
2) An initial veto of legislation that would pre-empt the ban of single-use plastic bans across the state and then the signature of the nation’s most comprehensive ban on single-use plastics in the nation, including single-use plastics bags and polystyrene containers.
3) The awarding of the nation’s most ambitious offshore wind solicitation bids off the Jersey Shore and a comprehensive goal of 7,500 megawatts from clean, renewable offshore wind by 2035, which was increased from an initial 3500 megawatts, positioning New Jersey to be the national leader on offshore wind and the offshore wind supply chain.
4) A revitalization of Natural Resource Damage litigation by the Attorney General’s Office to hold both large and small polluters accountable for their legacy of toxic pollution on our natural environmental, which has led to new NRD filed cases in every year of the Governor’s term.
5) The nation’s strongest drinking water standards via NJDEP regulations for the PFAS family of chemicals, including PFOA, which is found in the well water of more than 1 million NJ residents.
6) The NJDEP proposal of the Advanced Clean Truck, which will make New Jersey the second state after California to adopt an electric truck mandate by model year 2025, if the rule is adopted by the end of the year and is the first proposal under the NJPACT package of climate rules.
7) Rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) program, which has already generated more than $100 million through the Global Warming Solutions Fund, primarily which is being used for the electrification of the medium and heavy-duty trucks.
8) Strong opposition through NJDEP and the Governor himself to fossil fuel projects like the recently defeated PennEast gas pipeline, which targeted preserved lands in Hunterdon & Mercer Counties, the NESE gas pipeline which would inflict environmental harm to Central Jersey and Raritan Bay and the climate polluter that was the Meadowlands gas power plant in North Bergen.
9) Strongly supporting and signing legislation to create a comprehensive state roadmap to reduce lead exposure and work to replace every lead service line in the state in the next decade.
10) Strong public support for a full ban on fracking and fracking waste in the Delaware River watershed through the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) which culminated in a vote this February to ban fracking in the watershed and an expected regulation by the end of November to ban all fracking waste and fracking activities in the watershed.

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Paid for by Environment New Jersey, a project of Environment America, Inc., 104 Bayard Street, 6th Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. This expenditure was not made with the cooperation or prior consent of, or in consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate, or person or committee acting on behalf of the candidate.