Green group endorses Democratic challenger to Feinstein

A climate group in California has endorsed a Democratic challenger to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Climate Hawks Vote endorsed California state Senate Leader Kevin de León on Friday, touting his work in the statehouse on climate issues.

“Kevin de León is the climate hawk in this race, plain and simple,” Climate Hawks Vote president RL Miller said in a statement, noting strong support for de León over Feinstein in a poll the group commissioned.

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The group praised de León’s work on expanding the state’s renewable energy standard, a coal divestment campaign and encouraging the use of electric cars.

“And he’s doing more than simply authoring smart, ambitious legislation — he’s speaking out for climate justice,” Miller said.

“From smog to wildfires, he knows that fossil-fuel pollution is hurting his constituents here and now. Thus, he’s pledged to refuse contributions from the oil industry and instead prioritize Californians’ public health over industry profits,” Miller said.

Climate Hawks Vote is a super PAC that spent almost $150,000 on races in 2016, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Its endorsement comes after Democracy for America, a national progressive organization, endorsed de León last month. On Thursday, a progressive group called Justice Democrats endorsed another Feinstein challenger, Alison Hartson.

With some liberal groups lining up against her, Feinstein could face a competitive primary next year; she was first elected to the Senate in 1992.