As we continue to watch for final election results in several key races across the country, we first want to say thank you. Thank you for voting. Thank you for being concerned citizens weighing candidates’ positions on animal protection issues when you cast your ballot. And thank you for participating in one of the most crucial functions of our democratic republic.
We also want to say this. Your support of the Humane Society Legislative Fund is what continues to make us the nation’s largest and most impactful political advocacy organization for animals. By standing with us, you ensure we are able to support candidates who prioritize sound animal protection policies in our communities and homes—regardless of party affiliation.
We knew for certain coming into this election season that it would be a fateful one for animals, and we mobilized accordingly. At both the state and federal levels the HSLF made substantial commitments, including endorsements, independent expenditures, and direct candidate contributions.
We’re confident that we’ll be able to report on the success of a number of candidates we endorsed and supported. We went beyond endorsements, making independent expenditures and other investments of time, energy, and resources in races of special importance to us. In one instance, in the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, animal welfare issues were a marquee issue after accusations of animal testing and cruelty beset Republican candidate and medical doctor Mehmet Oz. We launched a television ad supporting our endorsed candidate (and rescue dog dad), Lt. Governor John Fetterman. This ad represented just one piece of the million dollars of independent expenditures HSLF made during this election cycle. And while several entities and the Fetterman campaign went hard on the accusations against Oz we cleaned up by sharing Fetterman’s positive record for animals.
While we must await the outcomes of more races to be sure which party will control each chamber of the U.S. Congress, there are many results to celebrate. Several of the most prominent pro-animal congressmen made it clear that ours is a winning issue by securing re-election in the U.S. House, and we did our best to help them. First and foremost, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), who co-chair the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, quickly secured victory in their respective races. They’ll be joined by some great newly elected members of the U.S. House, too, including Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) and Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.).
HSLF also made hundreds of endorsements at the state and local level as well, supporting the successful re-election of Governors Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Chris Sununu (R-N.H.)—along with other animal-friendly candidates for state legislatures across the country. We were especially thrilled to see more candidates featuring our endorsement in their own communications, including Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis, and Florida’s Republican State Senator Jason Brodeur. We know good public policy comes from electing humane candidates to office—and that’s why we work so hard to accomplish that goal, in every election cycle.
As more election results become final, we’ll continue to report on them. In the meantime, we’d like to urge everyone to be patient while our nation’s democratic process plays out. It will take time for states to count every vote, mostly because of the large number of voters who cast mail-in and absentee ballots. You can check our endorsements site for updates as races are called and winners are announced.
Thanks to your support, we were able to make unprecedented investments to elect candidates—Democrats, Republicans, and independents—who have made a commitment to our values and our animal protection agenda. No other animal advocacy organization is making the investments in electing humane candidates at the scale that HSLF is—a testament to the commitment and support of advocates like you.