Renewable Revolution

In California’s 44th Congressional district, the contrast between the two leading candidates couldn’t be clearer. Nanette Barragán stands for clean air, clean water, and a better future for the working class families of her district. Isadore Hall cozies up to Big Oil, Big Tobacco, and the gambling industry. It’s a very competitive primary in a deep blue district.

Nanette Barragán fights Big Oil.

As mayor pro tem of Hermosa Beach, she stumped for “No On O” to keep oil exploration out of her city and off Los Angeles-area beaches, and won in a landslide.

Barragán is the 12th child of Mexican immigrants, a fact that matters in a district that is 70 percent Latino. She’s passionate about bringing good, clean jobs to her district.




By sharp contrast, her primary opponent fights for Big Oil. Isadore Hall III has worked to shield oil and gas companies from carbon pollution fees, to protect them from fracking-chemical disclosure, and voted in support of natural-gas pipelines for his campaign donor Sempra Energy.


Hall's campaign is funded by the gambling, tobacco, and oil industries. In the state Senate, Hall chairs the Governmental Organization committee in charge of regulating gambling and tobacco. Those industries are not allowed to give to his state Senate campaign — so they’ve been giving to his Congressional campaign. Under his leadership, the committee has become well known for stalling, tabling, amending, and killing tobacco legislation opposed by his donors.

Hall has received nearly $150,000 from the oil and gas industry in campaign contributions, and if elected he’ll be California’s oiliest Democrat for a long time.

The seat is open, as the incumbent Janice Hahn is retiring. Thanks to California’s top-two rule, the top two vote-getters in June will face each other again in November — so Nanette needs to make a strong showing now to be able to win this fall.

Climate Hawks Vote endorsed early, nearly a year before the primary in this solidly Democratic district. We’ve been joined by Democracy For America, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, Emily’s List, BOLD PAC and PODER PAC, many members of Congress, and local leaders. But Hall has corporate support and the backing of the California Democratic machine — so we can’t rest easy.

With a June 7 primary approaching, our plan is to begin an aggressive outreach program to identify and turn out Barragán supporters in this highly diverse district. We’re hiring Spanish and Tagalog speakers to reach newly registered Democrats and other high-reward voters in California’s open primary. This low-cost, high-return effort will also be turning out new Bernie Sanders voters for the crucial presidential primary.

If you know anyone who lives in California’s 44th Congressional district, please send this to them and ask them to pass it on to their friends and neighbors.