“We’re championing the message and showing that Republicans actually can engage on this issue in a conservative way that doesn’t alienate the base but actually grows our popularity with swing voters, with young people and those demographics that we’ve been losing for a long time,” said Chris Barnard, president of American Conservation Coalition Action, the advocacy arm of the American Conservation Coalition.
Barnard’s group, which focuses on amplifying young conservatives’ climate and environmental priorities, has held town hall events with New Hampshire Young Republicans and New Hampshire College Republicans on climate and other youth priorities.
Two candidates have participated: entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who later dropped out of the primary.
Barnard said ACC Action invited all of the other major GOP candidates, and all were at least responsive, except Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump.
ACC can also take some credit for a major moment for climate, when Alex Diaz, a Catholic University student and ACC member, asked candidates at the August GOP debate how they would deal with the climate issue.
“We saw that there is still a gulf among candidates on this issue — some are very willing to lean in and some are not willing to lean in. So it’s interesting to see that unfold,” Barnard said of Diaz’s question.
ACC Action doesn’t plan to endorse a candidate in the presidential race, though it has backed congressional candidates.
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