Friends of the Earth Action Endorses Tom Perriello for Virginia Governor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Friends of the Earth Action today endorsed Tom Perriello (D-Va.) to be the Democratic nominee for Virginia governor in the June 13 Democratic primary election.
“Tom Perriello is with us in the trenches fighting fracking pipelines and uranium mines and challenging the power of Dominion Energy,” said Erich Pica, President of Friends of the Earth Action. “Perriello’s commitment to progressive environmental, economic policies and social justice make him the best candidate to lead the Commonwealth of Virginia forward.”
“With Donald Trump in the White House Virginia needs a governor who will lead the resistance,” said Pica. “Rep. Perriello’s progressive vision makes him the best candidate to defend Virginia’s environment from Donald Trump and fossil fuel companies.”
A former member of Congress, Perriello has demonstrated his strong commitment to protecting Virginia’s environment, creating clean energy jobs, and standing up to President Trump’s anti-environmental agenda on the campaign trail. His campaign has refused donations from state-regulated energy monopolies Dominion and Appalachian Power, and he has pledged to halt the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley gas pipeline projects if elected.
“I am honored to have the support of Friends of the Earth Action, a leading grassroots force for environmental and progressive change. Virginia faces a defining moment, where we settle for aging ideas like fossil fuel pipelines and monopolies or embrace the next generation of jobs in clean energy and distributive power,” said Tom Perriello. “Our agenda lets Virginians choose better jobs, saving our vulnerable coastline and protecting our air and water against attacks by Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington and Richmond. Climate change is an existential threat for Virginia and our planet, and as governor, I’ll work hand-in-hand with advocates and experts to put our Commonwealth at the forefront of clean energy development.”
Born and raised in Charlottesville, Va., Perriello has worked on environmental, social, and racial justice issues throughout his career. He was elected to represent Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District in 2008 and supported clean energy investments, limits on carbon emissions, and the Affordable Care Act while in Congress.
Expert contact: Ben Schreiber, (202) 280-8743, bschreiber@foe.org
Communications contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, ejensen@foe.org