For Immediate Release, April 29, 2022
Contact: Karuna Jaggar, (510) 220-2410, karunajaggar@centeractionfund.org
Center Action Fund Endorses Fatima Iqbal-Zubair for California’s 65th State Assembly District
LOS ANGELES— The Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, the 501(c)(4) political arm of the Center for Biological Diversity, announced today that it is endorsing Fatima Iqbal-Zubair for California’s 65th State Assembly District.
“Fatima Iqbal-Zubair is the climate champion that California’s Assembly District 65 needs,” said Karuna Jaggar, California political director at the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund. “Iqbal-Zubair will take the bold steps necessary to advance a rapid and just transition off fossil fuels, clean up the devastating environmental toll of fossil fuel production, stop oil and gas drilling and refining, and end the outsized influence of the fossil fuel industry in California’s politics.”
“I’m so honored to be endorsed by the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund,” said Fatima Iqbal-Zubair. “There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the climate crisis and extreme environmental injustices. L.A. County is home to one-third of our state’s refineries and three-quarters of the oil drilling occurs in Wilmington, not to mention other injustices like the prevalence of toxic facilities, land and water throughout our district. I’m excited to have the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund by my side as we move to not just act, but act swiftly toward a just transition to renewables, clean water, clean air, clean food and healthy communities.”
In a district that is hard hit by environmental racism and has an oil refinery in Carson that is the largest on the West Coast, Iqbal-Zubair is challenging Mike Gipson, a corporate Democrat who sides with polluters over people and the environment.
The Sierra Club reports that Gipson accepted more than $87,100 in funding in “dirty donor contributions” from polluting industries in 2019 and 2020. Gipson’s anti-environmental voting record includes opposing 100% clean, renewable energy as well as opposing a statewide goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. He also refused to vote for a commonsense measure to protect communities from toxic oil drilling in their neighborhoods.
Iqbal-Zubair is the only candidate in her race to have taken the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge and reject all money from corporate PACs.
The Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for legislation and legislators that will advance a progressive environmental agenda. The Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund is the 501(c)(4) affiliate of the Center for Biological Diversity, but these organizations’ names are not interchangeable. This news release is from the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, not the Center for Biological Diversity.