On May 26, the Sierra Club announced its endorsement of Sara Stapleton-Barrera for Texas Senate District 27, in addition to 17 candidates running for the Texas House. The announcement follows the organization’s endorsement of 37 Texas House incumbents in February.

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Stapleton-Barrera and House District 138 candidate Akilah Bacy face primary runoff elections scheduled for July 14. Early voting begins June 29.

“We are excited to announce our latest round of endorsements for 17 Texas House races in the November general election, as well as one very important Texas Senate runoff election,” said David Griggs, Political Chair of the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter. “If successful in November, these candidates could represent a tipping point for the long-awaited and sorely needed leadership Texans have needed at the Texas Capitol on climate action, clean energy, and air and water pollution.”

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The newly endorsed candidates are as follows:

• HD 14 - Janet Dudding (Bryan)

• HD 28 - Eliz Markowitz (Katy)  

• HD 32 - Eric Holguin (Corpus Christi) 

• HD 54 - Keke Williams (Harker Hts.)

• HD 64 - Angela Brewer (Denton)

• HD 66 - Sharon Hirsh (Plano)

• HD 92 - Jeff Whitfield (Euless)

• HD 93 - Lydia Bean (Arlington)

• HD 94 - Alisa Simmons (Arlington)

• HD 96 - Joe Drago (Crowley)

• HD 97 - Elizabeth Beck (Ft. Worth)

• HD 108 - Joanna Cattanach (Dallas)

• HD 112 - Brandy Chambers (Dallas)

• HD 121 - Celina Montoya (San Antonio)

• HD 126 - Natali Hurtado (Houston)

• HD 134 - Ann Johnson (Houston)

• HD 138 - Akilah Bacy (Houston)

• SD 27 - Sara Stapleton-Barrera (Brownsville)

 

In SD 27, this is the Sierra Club’s first endorsement of a challenger to a sitting Democratic member of the Texas Senate in a number of cycles. In January, the Sierra Club also endorsed the challenger to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, Jessica Cisneros.

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“I’m proud to receive the endorsement from the Sierra Club. Our community deserves clean air, clean water - and the Sierra Club has fought for that by being in the frontline to protect our beautiful natural resources in South Texas,” said Sara Stapleton-Barrera, candidate for SD 27 in the July 14 runoff election. “Climate change has already ravaged South Texas communities through two 100 year floods just in the last four years, further damaging already vulnerable communities. It's time that we address climate change by reversing our dependence on fossil fuels, and transitioning to a 100% renewable energy economy. I look forward to working alongside Sierra Club in achieving this.”

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“It is time for District 27 to be represented by someone who has the courage, foresight, and common sense to understand that transitioning to a renewable economy with abundant sustainable jobs is the only way to provide security for future generations without sacrificing health and safety,” said Marta Peña, Executive Committee Vice Chair of the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter and resident of SD 27. “Our endorsement of Sara Stapleton-Barrera also comes at a critical time when communities that are the most susceptible to the effects of climate change need a caring champion on their side."

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The Sierra Club will mobilize its members to elect Sara to the Texas Senate along with all the endorsed incumbents and challengers to the Texas House.