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2006
Clean Water Action's Members Win In Key State Legislative Races
Clean Water Action believes in the importance of electing and re-electing environmentally conscious legislators to protect our environment and public health. The following are the results of hard work put in by Clean Water members, staff and volunteers this past election season.
Learn more about the election victories.
Randolph Ousts Incumbent
On November 7, Clean Water Action celebrated a victory when former attorney and policy staffer, Scott Randolph, was elected State Representative in a landslide! Clean Water Action members and volunteers helped make this people-powered, grassroots campaign a success by going door-to-door throughout the district.
Randolph's campaign centered on protecting quality of life and the character of Orlando's neighborhoods by advocating for stronger growth management laws.
Voters throughout State House District 36 reacted positively to Clean Water Action and Randolph's environmental messages, especially given the vast amount of growth that is happening in the area.
District 36 takes in the communities of Eatonville, Tangelo Park, Azalea Park, College Park, parts of Winter Park, downtown, Delaney Park, and MetroWest.
The Republican incumbent Sheri McInvale - who had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from big developers, big sugar, property insurance companies, and polluters - spent more than $1.5 million against Randolph. However, it was the grassroots efforts and the environmental message that triumphed in this seat.
Randolph won with 61.1% of the vote, becoming the first environmental attorney to serve in the legislature in more than two decades.
Victory for Justice
The environmental candidate for State Senate, Charlie Justice, won an important victory for Tampa Bay and all of Florida's waterways!
Clean Water Action staff and volunteers contacted members to turn out our vote. Charlie Justice won this close election by just 3,032 votes.
With Charlie's leadership in the State Senate, Florida's waterways, drinking water, pristine coasts, and public health will have a powerful voice in shaping public policy.
Vana Holds Seat
Clean Water Action saw another local win for the environment as Shelley Vana defended her seat as State Representative in the 85th House District, encompassing Wellington and surrounding unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County.
Vana has advocated for action on climate change impacts in Florida and opposes water privatization, earning Clean Water's full support. Clean Water looks forward to continuing to work with Rep. Vana on future legislative campaigns for the betterment of South Florida.
Voters Lose Out with Passage of Proposal 3
Led by a well-funded, and truly special-interest driven "YES" campaign, voters approved requiring a higher standard for future constitutional amendments by imposing 60% supermajority voter approval on statewide ballot proposals. Ironically, the measure itself passed with less than 60 percent, perhaps the last such initiative to do so if the amendment is not overturned.
Clean Water Action was among the lead organizations in the Trust the Voters coalition, which sought to educate the public about the faults of requiring this "supermajority rule" on constitutional amendments, as it hands over more power to 40 percent plus one of the voting public versus a traditional majority of just over 50 percent.
