Originally published on the CGS blog on November 13, 2012.
Keeping with the theme of voters selecting leaders that champion smart American foreign policy, we have two more races that highlight the frighteningly stark differences between two different worldviews. As with the previous post, these are officials that were supported by the Global Solutions PAC that won their elections.
We will begin with the Montana Senatorial race, where incumbent Jon Tester bested Dennis Rehberg in that race. Tester has a proven track record as a champion of American involvement globally, including votes in favor of addressing climate change, the New START Treaty, and the preservation of foreign aid funding. During his time as Senator, Tester has earned two “A-” grades on our report card in 2010 and 2012. On the other end of the spectrum, Rehberg’s lack of support for international nuclear regulation, initiatives to address climate change, and proper funding to the UN earned him a “D-” in 2010 and a “D” in 2012.
Another example of this shift to responsible leaders occurred in New Mexico’s election for their next Senator. Ultimately, Martin Heinrich beat Heather Wilson by more than 40,000 votes. The evolution of Heather Wilson’s foreign policy stances is an interesting phenomenon to watch. According to our 2004 report card, Wilson earned a “44” due to her voting against issues such as women’s rights and US involvement in the ICC. However, in 2005, Wilson jumped to a respectable “B+” as a result of her support for UN funding as well as action in Darfur. From 2006 to 2008, she slid to a “C+” and maintained that grade due to her lack of support for nuclear regulation, US involvement in the ICC, and the rights of foreign combatants.
On the other hand, Heinrich has been a consistent supporter of smart foreign policy legislation. In 2010 and 2012, Heinrich earned the grades of “A” and “B+” respectively due to his support of nuclear regulation, addressing climate change, and UN funding.
Again, these outcomes signal that the American people want representatives that will work on issues using realistic solutions on a consistent basis.
As a public service announcement, the political action committee run by Global Solutions is not some faceless super PAC. All of our donations come from ordinary citizens giving what they can to promote responsible leadership in Washington. This election is proof positive that Americans want what we stand for; if you are interested in learning more about the PAC, you can find information here.
