New Poll: Climate Champion Doyle Canning Positioned to Lead OR-04 Primary
WASHINGTON – Today, Climate Hawks Vote, Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund and Friends of the Earth Action released poll results showing that candidate Doyle Canning is well-positioned to win the primary race in Oregon’s Fourth Congressional District. This month, the groups jointly endorsed Canning along with Food and Water Watch, Oil Change U.S., Zero Hour and Progressive Democrats of America.
The poll found that a majority of likely voters in the district view the Jordan Cove liquified natural gas export terminal project as a climate disaster, with 50% less likely to vote for a candidate who had supported the project.
Nearly half the voters in the district followed the controversial project either very closely (12%) or somewhat closely (34%). Voters also agreed with climate activists that the project would have contributed to the worsening climate crisis (53%).
Jordan Cove was defeated last year after backlash from environmental advocates, landowners and tribes and would have become the largest single emitter of greenhouse gasses in Oregon, conflicting the state’s own emissions reduction goals. Doyle Canning is an outspoken advocate against Jordan Cove, while Val Hoyle was a proponent of the project.
All three leading candidates begin the race with low name recognition. Although Val Hoyle leads Doyle Canning and Andrew Kalloch (24-8-4), 54% of voters remain undecided.
“Doyle Canning can win this primary by doing what she’s already doing – getting her message out to climate voters. Val Hoyle’s prior support for Jordan Cove is a major turn-off to primary voters in this climate-conscious district,” said RL Miller of Climate Hawks Vote.
“Oregon voters want a candidate who will act decisively on the climate emergency,” said Quinn Read, Oregon political director at the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund. “We need a leader who will protect Oregonians from dirty, polluting projects like Jordan Cove. That leader is Doyle Canning.”
“Oregon voters clearly care about the climate crisis and want a leader who will stand up to big polluters. Unlike her opponent, Doyle Canning has a proven track record of putting people and the planet first, having fought alongside her community to defeat the Jordan Cove gas project. She will undoubtedly continue to be a stalwart champion for Oregonians and the environment in Congress,” said Ariel Moger, Government and Political Affairs Manager for Friends of the Earth Action.
Communications contact: Brittany Miller, (202) 222-0746, bmiller@foe.org
Friends of the Earth (Action), Inc. fights for transformational environmental policy and pushes political discourse to center justice and the environment. Friends of the Earth (Action), Inc. is the 501(c)(4) affiliate of Friends of the Earth U.S., but these organizations’ names are not interchangeable. This news release is from Friends of the Earth (Action), Inc., not Friends of the Earth.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.