Persuasion canvass campaign highlights stark differences between Portman and Strickland

Cincinnati, Ohio – Today, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) named Sen. Rob Portman to its signature Dirty Dozen list and simultaneously launched an approximately $400,000 persuasion canvass effort to defeat Portman and elect Ted Strickland in the Ohio Senate race.

The persuasion canvass campaign will engage voters in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. It will highlight the stark differences between former Governor Ted Strickland, who has been a leader in expanding Ohio’s clean energy economy and is committed to addressing the challenge of climate change, and Sen. Rob Portman, who has stubbornly opposed action on climate and who has a terrible record on environmental protections. Portman has received over $1.5 million from Big Polluters and earned an abysmal eight percent on LCV’s 2015 National Environmental Scorecard. 

“One glance at Portman’s environmental record shows a politician who has chased Big Polluters’ money in Washington, and caught it, snagging a payoff of over $1.5 million for his campaigns,” said LCV National Campaigns Director Clay Schroers. “Portman’s environmental record – which was once, at-best, mediocre – has dropped to rock bottom as he has turned to dirty fossil fuel money to fund his campaigns. He has fought for their priorities, from attacking clean air and water protections to opposing action to address climate change. Now that he is on the Dirty Dozen, we are speaking with Ohio voters in their communities, letting them know that Portman has been working for Big Polluters’ special interests – not Ohioans’ interests – in Washington.”

“Portman is a fitting member of the Dirty Dozen who has worked hard to get Big Polluters what they want in Washington, and Ohio needs better,” said Aryeh Alex, Director of the OEC Action Fund. “Fortunately, we have a choice; while Portman tries to gut clean air and water protections, Ted Strickland is building a campaign committed to fighting for Ohio’s future. As governor, he already proved he has the vision to represent Ohio’s families by working to create jobs and build a clean energy economy right here at home.”

For 20 years, the Dirty Dozen has targeted candidates— regardless of party affiliation — who consistently side against the environment and are running in races in which LCV has a serious chance to affect the outcome. Last cycle, LCV defeated seven of the 12 Dirty Dozen candidates. In the last presidential year of 2012, LCV defeated 11 of 12.

This is LCV’s first 2016 independent expenditure campaign in the Ohio Senate race and third Senate independent expenditure, following campaigns announced in Nevada and Pennsylvania. In the presidential race, LCV and LCV Victory Fund have engaged in digital advertising and a direct mail campaign supporting Hillary Clinton in early primary states.

In 2014, LCV, LCV Victory Fund, and state LCVs invested a record total of over $30 million in elections — by far the most that LCV has ever spent. Federal races accounted for over $19 million of total spending, while LCV and state LCVs combined to spend over $10 million on state elections.

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Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters, www.lcv.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.