The League of Conservation Voters of the East Bay, or LCVEB, announced Monday its endorsement of Berkeley mayoral candidate Laurie Capitelli.
The LCVEB supports the election of environmentally conscious leaders in the Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Board member and volunteer Evelyn Stivers said the group determined the endorsement based on the issues of global warming, greenhouse gas emissions and transit issues in general.
“(Capitelli) has shown extraordinary leadership on those issues,” Stivers said. “He has a proven track record of standing up for those issues and is strong on environmental issues we’re looking for.”
Stivers said LCVEB board members also interviewed three other mayoral candidates — Kriss Worthington, Ben Gould and Jesse Arreguín.
The LCVEB has raised some funds for Capitelli’s campaign and will make a donation of $240, Stivers said. Its main goal is to give voters a “shortcut” in finding environmentally friendly leaders, according to Stivers.
“I think many voters in Berkeley have an environmental bent and I think that’s part of our community ethos,” Capitelli said. “They will look on the endorsement in a very positive light in terms of my candidacy.”
Capitelli has also received endorsements from UC Berkeley professor Robert Reich, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, former California State Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, California state Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Oakland, and current Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates throughout his campaign.
Gould said though he has not been endorsed by an environmental group, he has been endorsed by “numerous environmental leaders.” Arreguín was endorsed by the Sierra Club in September.
“I don’t think it’ll have much of an impact on my campaign,” Gould said. “The endorsement will have a bigger impact between (Capitelli) and Jesse (Arreguin).”
Arreguin could not be reached for comment on the LCVEB’s endorsement of Capitelli.