Environmental Leaders Support Tom Steyer for Governor

PASADENA — Today, ahead of the California Environmental Voters’ gubernatorial forum in Pasadena, Democratic candidate for governor Tom Steyer announced endorsements from prominent environmental leaders from across the country, recognizing his work on climate progress and economic growth.

“Tom Steyer has been one of the hardest-working climate advocates in the country for the last fifteen years,” Climate Author Bill McKibben said. “He has been there again and again: at the protests, gathering leaders, trying one tactic after another to make progress in this most crucial of all fights. His interest is deep, personal, and very real — and as governor he'll be in a position to move the world's fourth-largest economy decisively in the right direction, saving Californians lots of money — but also, maybe, saving some of the Golden State's beaches and forests along the way.”

McKibben joins 19 other environmental leaders in supporting Steyer for governor, including:

1. Paul Bodnar, Former Senior Director for Energy and Climate, White House National Security Council
2. Kingsmill Bond, Energy Strategist, Ember
3. Mike Brune, Former Executive Director, Sierra Club
4. Jared Blumenfeld, Former Secretary, California Environmental Protection Agency
5. Scott Jacobs, Clean Energy Leader and Former CEO, Generate Capital
6. Gene Karpinski, National Climate Leader and Advocate
7. Michael Kieschnick, President and Founder, Green Advocacy Project
8. David Kieve, President, EDF Action
9. Dan Lashof, Climate Advocate
10. Dan Miller, Clean Tech Investor and Climate Podcast Host
11. Harold Mitchell, Jr., Former White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Member, Former South Carolina State Representative and Executive Director, The ReGenesis Institute
12. John Podesta, Former Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation
13. Jigar Shah, Former Director of the Loan Programs Office, US Department of Energy
14. Nicole Systrom, Climate and Clean Energy Strategic Advisor
15. California State Senator Henry Stern, Chair of Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management (previously announced)
16. Maggie Thomas, Former Special Assistant to the President for Climate, Office of Domestic Climate Policy
17. Vien Truong, Climate and Sustainability Leader
18. David Weiskopf, Senior Policy Director, Climate Cabinet Action
19. Ali Zaidi, Former White House National Climate Advisor, Assistant to the President of the United States, and Head of White House Climate Policy Office
    

“For the past 15 years, my work has been driven by the belief that climate progress and economic growth must move forward together, and I’m deeply grateful to these outstanding leaders for their support,” Steyer said. “With 2025 ranking among the most costly years on record for climate disasters and the Trump administration actively attacking our hard-won climate and economic gains, these are challenges our next governor must confront head-on. California must continue to move forward — advancing policies that both lift up working families and accelerate our fight against climate change.”

*All endorsements are made in the endorser’s personal capacity and do not represent the views of any organization with which they are affiliated. Organizations are listed for identification purposes only.