Environmental groups target 2008 races…all Senate.

A coalition of environmental groups including the League of Conservation Voters, The Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Environment America, and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund have come together to target three key Senate races this year, Colorado, New Hampshire and New Mexico. The groups announced that they are backing Representative Mark Udall (D-CO-2) to fill the seat being vacated by Sen Wayne Allard (R-CO) in Colorado; Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, who lost in 2002, but is running high in polls against Senator John Sununu; and Representative Tom Udall (D-NM-3) who is running for the seat being vacated by Senator Domenici, who is also retiring.

According to League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski, the groups decided to target Senate races because “Passing vital global warming legislation will require a 60 vote pro-environment majority in the Senate.”

While race targeting is nothing new in elections, this particular coalition is significant because of their past success. They are widely credited for the defeat of Representative Richard Pombo the rather anti-environment former Chairman of the House Resources Committee in 2006. Pombo was defeated by now Representative Jerry McNerney (D-CA).