Political Party/527

Sierra Club Independent Action

Website:

www.sierraclubindependentaction.org/

Location:

Oakland, CA

Type:

527 Political Action Committee

Formation:

2010

Treasurer:

Adrienne Frazier

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Sierra Club Independent Action is the super PAC of the Sierra Club environmentalist group. It exclusively spends or gives to committees in support of Democratic party candidates or in opposition of Republican party candidates. 1

Background

Sierra Club Independent Action is the 527 arm of the Sierra Club, a major environmentalist group. It endorses candidates at the federal, state, and local levels and contributes to campaigns that support Democratic party candidates. 1 2

Sierra Club Independent Action claims to support candidates that promote environmentalist policies. It also states that it supports candidates who promote funding for low-income and ethnic minority communities as it claims they are more likely to be affected by climate change. 3

Sierra Club Independent Action endorses presidential and congressional candidates. The local Sierra Club chapters make endorsements of state and local candidates. 4

Activities

In June 2023, Sierra Club Independent Action made a joint announcement of its endorsement of the reelection of incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential election alongside the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, NextGen PAC, and Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund. In the announcement, Sierra Club Independent Action stated that to date, the Biden administration has done more for environmentalist initiatives than any other president. 5

The endorsement was also critical of the Trump administration’s environmental policies and supported the Biden administration for rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. It goes on to advocate for the Biden administration to block additional conventional energy developments, including the Willow Project and Mountain Valley Pipeline. 5

Voter Mobilization

Sierra Club Independent Action organizes volunteer-operated phone-banking campaigns to encourage voters to vote in upcoming elections and to vote for the candidates it endorses. 6 7 It also organizes mailing campaigns where volunteers write and send letters to prospective voters, encouraging them to vote and to vote for the candidates it endorses. 8

Trump Opposition Campaigns

During the 2020 election, Sierra Club Independent Action campaigned against then-President Donald Trump during his reelection campaign. During the cycle, it spent $960,769 opposing Trump. 1

Sierra Club Independent Action promoted the idea that he was responsible for all deaths from COVID-19, accusing him of refusing to implement the advice of his medical advisors. It also accused him of spending “every minute” he had in office on eliminating so-called “protections” for immigrants, LGBT individuals, asylum seekers, workers, and the environment. 8

In an October 2020 blog post, Sierra Club Independent Action solicited volunteers to help it achieve its goal of mailing 1.2 million letters to voters encouraging them to vote against then-President Trump. 8

In November 2020, Sierra Club Independent Action funded a voter mobilization event on behalf of the Sierra Club through Protect the Results. The event hosted national staff members on a livestream to encourage individuals to vote against then-President Trump. 9 Participants of Protect the Results prepared mass protests in anticipation of the possibility of Trump winning the 2020 election as well as under the assumption that Trump would not “respect the peaceful transfer of power” if he were to lose. 10

Spending

During the 2020 election cycle, Sierra Club Independent Action reported $3,739,121 in independent expenditures. It spent $2.1 million in support of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and over $100,000 in support of the Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Cal Cunningham, Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock, Gary Peters, and Mark Kelly. It also spent $960,769 opposing then-President Trump’s campaign. 1

Funding

Election Spending

Between the 2009-2010 and 2019-2020 election cycles, Sierra Club Independent Action spent $6 million in independent expenditures, supporting Democrats and opposing Republicans: 11

Election CycleAmountCandidatePartySupport/Oppose
2019-2020$2,137,688 Joseph BidenDemocraticSupport
2019-2020$960,906 Donald TrumpRepublicanOppose
2019-2020$161,496 Cal CunninghamDemocraticSupport
2019-2020$117,825 Gary PetersDemocraticSupport
2019-2020$110,358 Mark KellyDemocraticSupport
2019-2020$33,052 Jonathan OssoffDemocraticSupport
2019-2020$33,042 Raphael WarnockDemocraticSupport
2019-2020$6,559 Edward MarkeyDemocraticSupport
2017-2018$1,093 Harley RoudaDemocraticSupport
2017-2018$1,093 Mike LevinDemocraticSupport
2017-2018$1,093 Jason CrowDemocraticSupport
2017-2018$1,093 Jacky RosenDemocraticSupport
2015-2016$50,589 Chris Van HollenDemocraticSupport
2015-2016$5,506 Catherine Cortez MastoDemocraticSupport
2015-2016$5,390 Donald TrumpRepublicanOppose
2013-2014$1,000,576 Joni ErnstRepublicanOppose
2011-2012$625,809 Daniel LungrenRepublicanOppose
2011-2012$147,734 Tulsi GabbardDemocraticSupport
2011-2012$126,716 Francisco Raul Quico CansecoRepublicanOppose
2011-2012$126,566 Pete GallegoDemocraticSupport
2011-2012$95,526 Angus Stanley King Jr.IndependentSupport
2011-2012$57,062 James RenacciRepublicanOppose
2011-2012$12,000 Eric GriegoDemocraticSupport
2011-2012$1,723 Robert SchillingRepublicanOppose
2011-2012$781Michael CoffmanRepublicanOppose
2011-2012$199Christopher GibsonRepublicanOppose
2009-2010$169,628 Patty MurrayDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$11,192 Rand PaulRepublicanOppose
2009-2010$1,120 Michael BennetDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$688Kenneth BuckRepublicanOppose
2009-2010$420Ronald JohnsonRepublicanOppose
2009-2010$260Thomas PerrielloDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Kathleen DahlkemperDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Kurt SchraderDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260David WuDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Steven Leo DriehausDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Christopher CarneyDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Patrick MurphyDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Earl BlumenauerDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Mary KilroyDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Betty SuttonDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Joseph SchulerDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260David PriceDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Daniel SealsDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Jesse Jackson Jr.DemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260George MillerDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Jerry McNerneyDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Ralph MillerDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Melvin WattDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Melissa BeanDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Bobby RushDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Mark CritzDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Ronald WydenDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Joseph SestakDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260Alexander GiannouliasDemocraticSupport
2009-2010$260John BoccieriDemocraticSupport
Total:$6,011,021

References

  1. “Sierra Club Independent Action Independent Expenditures.” OpenSecrets. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/C00483693/independent-expenditures/2020.
  2. “Political.” Sierra Club. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.sierraclub.org/florida/miami/political.
  3. “Sierra Club Voter Guide.” Sierra Club Independent Action. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.sierraclubindependentaction.org/.
  4. “2024 Endorsements: Sierra Club Independent Action.” Sierra Club Independent Action. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.sierraclubindependentaction.org/endorsements.
  5. “Sierra Club Endorses Joe Biden for President.” Sierra Club Independent Action. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.sierraclubindependentaction.org/blog/sierra-club-endorses-joe-biden-president.
  6. “Why Halloween Is the Perfect Holiday for GOTV.” Sierra Club Independent Action. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.sierraclubindependentaction.org/blog/why-halloween-perfect-holiday-gotv.
  7. “Call Voters with Sierra Club Independent Action!” Mobilize. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.mobilize.us/sierraclubpolitical/event/483786/?utm_source=222KPLEN31.
  8. “Help Us Write Trump out of Office.” Sierra Club Independent Action. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.sierraclubindependentaction.org/blog/help-us-write-trump-out-office.
  9. “Change Powered by People.” Sierra Club. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.sierraclub.org/change-powered-people.
  10. Timmons, Heather, and Alexandra Alper. Americans plan widespread protests if Trump interferes with election, October 29, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN27E1H9/.
  11. Federal Election Commission: Sierra Club Independent Action Spending. 2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2015-2016, 2017-2018, 2019-2020 cycles. Accessed February 15, 2021. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00483693/?cycle=2020.
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Sierra Club Independent Action


Oakland, CA