New Haven State Rep. Pat Dillon is all clear to use the Sierra Club Political Endorsement Seal on her campaign lit — now that the state chapter of the nationwide environmental organization has backed her bid for another two-year term in office. Dillon announced that she has received the endors ement of Sierra Club Connecticut in a Thursday email press release. That email includes a copy of a July 15 letter written by Stephen Lewis, the political chair of the Connecticut chapter of the Sierra Club, affirming the group’s endorsement of Dillon in the 92nd General Assembly District primary “and, should you win, the general election race in appreciation of your demonstrated commitment to protecting the environment.” Dillon, a 21-term incumbent, serves on the state legislature’s Environment Committee, in addition to being a deputy majority leader and the House chair of the Health Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. She is facing challenges from two fellow Democrats and Westville residents in the Aug. 11 Democratic primary for the west-side state House of Representatives seat: Eli Sabin, a former downtown alder, and Justin Farmer, a former Hamden Legislative Council member. Dillon has also been endorsed by the local Democratic Party and by the CT AFL-CIO, while Sabin has been endorsed by Mayor Justin Elicker and Farmer has been endorsed by the Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America. The 92nd District includes parts of Amity, Westville, Edgewood, Dwight, and the Hill. “Sierra Club Connecticut’s endorsement means a lot to our members in Connecticut and to the general voting public,” Lewis’s letter reads. “For over 50 years, Sierra Club CT has worked to protect our open spaces and wildlife. We are committed to moving beyond fossil fuels and promoting an equitable and just transition to a clean energy economy. In addition, we work to protect public health, ensure safe and healthy communities here in the state, and for racial, economic, and environmental justice for all people. Our endorsement sends a message of your strong support for these issues and your proven track record on environmental issues.” As part of Thursday’s press release, Dillon welcomed the Sierra Club’s endorsement — particularly at a time when state residents have been beset by dangerously poor air quality thanks to smoke from Canadian wildfires, “a stark reminder that environmental challenges do not respect borders and that the impacts of a changing climate are increasingly being felt in communities across the state.” “I am honored to receive Sierra Club Connecticut’s endorsement,” Dillon is quoted as saying in the press release. “As Connecticut families are being told to limit outdoor activities because of hazardous air quality from wildfire smoke, we are reminded that protecting our environment isn’t an abstract issue—it’s a public health issue. The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the health of our communities depend on the choices we make today.” The post Sierra Club Endorses Dillon appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less