League of Conservation Voters
American environmental advocacy organization that combines voter education, political organizing, candidate support, and environmental accountability campaigns.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is a United States environmental advocacy organization focused on connecting conservation policy with electoral and civic participation. Its work includes educating voters, mobilizing supporters, evaluating the environmental records of elected officials, endorsing candidates, opposing candidates whose records conflict with its priorities, and supporting political campaigns through affiliated entities. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and operates through a national network that includes 29 state affiliates. LCV was established in 1970 by environmentalist and congressional staffer Marion Edey, with strong encouragement from David Brower, shortly after Brower left the Sierra Club. Edey envisioned a national political organization that would give environmentalists a coordinated presence in elections and public policy. Although the original concept was associated with Brower's new organization, Friends of the Earth, legal concerns under federal campaign law led Edey to create LCV as an independent political committee. The group subsequently developed a model that combined nonpartisan voter information with increasingly explicit electoral engagement. One of LCV's most durable institutions is the National Environmental Scorecard. The scorecard records and communicates how members of Congress vote on selected environmental legislation and has become a widely cited reference for environmental groups, journalists, researchers, and voters. LCV also helped establish the annual “Dirty Dozen” political list, which identifies officeholders or candidates it seeks to defeat because of their environmental voting records or policy positions. These tools allow the organization to translate legislative behavior into accessible political messaging. LCV's political activity is conducted both directly and through affiliated organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and an affiliated super PAC. These entities support candidates and campaign efforts, with most of their electoral activity benefiting Democratic candidates or opposing Republican candidates whose environmental records LCV criticizes. The organization has been an especially prominent participant in climate-policy, clean-energy, public-lands, clean-air, clean-water, and environmental-justice debates. Its advocacy has included opposition to environmental policies associated with the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations. The organization expanded its climate-oriented electoral work through LeadingGreen, a joint initiative launched with the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund in 2014. It also created or supported large-scale election programs, including the Victory Fund, to help elect candidates who prioritize environmental and climate action. In 2018, its affiliated political operation pledged substantial resources to green candidates and ultimately reported spending approximately $80 million through the Victory Fund during the midterm cycle. LCV is organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, while its political affiliates operate under applicable campaign-finance structures. As a social-welfare nonprofit, the core organization is not generally required to publicly identify all donors, a feature that has attracted both large philanthropic support and criticism from opponents concerned about politically influential nonprofit spending. Publicly reported supporters have included environmental philanthropists and major political donors. In the 2024 election cycle, LCV and its affiliated political operations played a significant role in supporting Democratic candidates and climate-related messaging, including advertising in swing states on behalf of Kamala Harris and other Democrats. Longtime president Gene Karpinski announced in September 2024 that he intended to leave the presidency in 2025 after a successor was selected. LCV remains an active national environmental political organization whose influence comes less from consumer products than from its scorecards, endorsements, grassroots network, policy advocacy, and campaign spending.
History
The League of Conservation Voters emerged from the growth of modern American environmental politics at the end of the 1960s. Marion Edey, then a young congressional staffer, proposed a national political organization that could give environmentalists a coordinated electoral voice. In a 1969 letter to David Brower, recently departed from the Sierra Club, Edey described the idea as a pressure group analogous in some respects to a political party, while intending it to evaluate and support candidates across the political system. Brower endorsed the proposal and supplied the name League of Conservation Voters. The initial plan was announced in 1969 as an initiative associated with Friends of the Earth, Brower's new environmental organization. That arrangement was not adopted because making LCV a subsidiary of another nonprofit could have created problems under the Federal Corrupt Practices Act. Edey therefore launched LCV independently in 1970 as a political committee. She recruited James Rathlesberger as the organization's first employee and assigned him to research presidential politics, while she concentrated on congressional affairs. LCV's early work emphasized information and political accountability. In 1972, the organization published environmental profiles of leading presidential candidates, and Rathlesberger edited a volume examining Richard Nixon's environmental record. The publications received attention from news outlets and reviewers and helped move environmental issues into campaign debate. Although the group had limited influence during the highly contentious 1972 election, its candidate-information model became more consequential as environmental concerns gained greater political salience during the 1970s, including the 1976 presidential campaign. A central feature of LCV's long-term development was the National Environmental Scorecard. The organization began systematically tracking congressional votes on selected environmental matters and presenting the results in a form that voters and advocates could use. The scorecard has been cited by major newspapers, news organizations, public-policy commentators, and academic researchers. It has also been used in studies of corporate political behavior, legislative ideology, constituent environmental attitudes, gender differences in congressional voting, and the relationship between elite political signals and public concern about climate change. Critics have argued that the scorecard reflects partisan judgments, while LCV presents it as a measure of whether lawmakers have acted consistently with environmental protection. The annual Dirty Dozen list became another recognizable instrument of LCV's political strategy. First developed in 1970 with Environmental Action, the list identifies politicians whom the organization seeks to defeat because of their environmental voting records or positions. It transforms legislative ratings into targeted electoral campaigns and illustrates LCV's broader strategy of linking policy advocacy to voter mobilization. Over time, LCV developed a networked structure involving the national organization, state affiliates, an education fund, and political entities such as the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund. The organization has supported environmental candidates, opposed candidates it considers hostile to conservation, and participated in independent-expenditure campaigns. Its political activity has generally aligned with Democratic candidates, particularly on climate change, clean energy, public lands, pollution control, and environmental justice. This alignment has made LCV an important Democratic-aligned environmental organization while also exposing it to criticism that its scorecard and endorsements are partisan. LCV opposed numerous environmental policies of the George W. Bush administration and later became a strong opponent of the Trump administration's environmental agenda. In 2014, LCV and the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund launched LeadingGreen, a joint climate initiative. The project later entered the Democracy Alliance's funding portfolio, reinforcing the role of climate politics within progressive donor networks. During the 2018 midterm cycle, LCV's affiliated Victory Fund supported environmentally aligned candidates with a large electoral program and reported approximately $80 million in spending. The organization continued to expand its campaign role in 2024. LCV and its affiliated super PAC supported Democratic candidates and climate-related advertising, including spending connected with Kamala Harris's presidential campaign effort in six swing states. Reported accounts described LCV as one of the largest political spenders in the election cycle. Because the principal organization is a 501(c)(4), it is not legally required to disclose every donor, although donors and nonprofit filings may reveal some sources of financial support. In September 2024, Gene Karpinski announced plans to leave the presidency in 2025 after a successor was appointed. LCV remains active as a national environmental advocacy organization with a membership reported at more than two million, a network of state affiliates, and a distinctive role at the intersection of conservation policy, voter education, and Democratic-aligned electoral politics.
- 2024
LCV undertakes major climate and electoral campaigns
[1]LCV and its affiliated political organizations supported Democratic candidates and climate-related advertising in several swing states.
- 2018
Victory Fund expands midterm electoral activity
[1]LCV's affiliated political operation increased spending to support environmentally aligned candidates during the 2018 midterm elections.
- 2015
LeadingGreen joins the Democracy Alliance portfolio
[1]The climate initiative became part of the Democracy Alliance's funding portfolio.
- 2014
LeadingGreen is launched
[1]LCV and the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund created a joint initiative focused on climate change.
- 1972
Early presidential environmental profiles are published
[1]LCV released environmental profiles of leading presidential candidates, and James Rathlesberger edited a publication examining Nixon and the environment.
- 1970
League of Conservation Voters is founded
[1]Edey established LCV as an independent political committee after legal concerns prevented it from operating as a subsidiary of Friends of the Earth.
- 1970
Dirty Dozen initiative begins
[1]LCV and Environmental Action developed the original Dirty Dozen list to target politicians with unfavorable environmental voting records.
- 1969
Edey proposes a national environmental political organization
[1]Marion Edey outlined the concept of a national environmental pressure group to David Brower, who supported the proposal and promoted the League of Conservation Voters name.
Products and positioning
A national environmental political organization that turns conservation priorities into voter information, legislative accountability, grassroots organizing, and electoral action.
Legislative accountability tool
National Environmental Scorecard
LCV's principal legislative-rating program tracks selected votes by members of Congress on environmental issues and communicates the results to voters, journalists, advocates, and researchers. The scorecard is used to compare lawmakers' records and inform endorsements, campaign messaging, and voter education. It has also become a source for academic and policy research, although its selection of votes and interpretation are sometimes criticized as politically partisan.
Electoral accountability campaign · 1970
Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen is an annual targeting program that identifies politicians whom LCV seeks to defeat because of their environmental voting records or policy positions. By converting legislative ratings into a focused list of electoral targets, it provides a simple organizing and communications framework for environmental campaigns.
Political advocacy affiliate
LCV Action Fund
The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund supports political candidates and campaign activity connected with environmental priorities. Its electoral work has generally favored Democratic candidates and has included advertising, direct political support, voter mobilization, and efforts to oppose candidates whose records are viewed as damaging to conservation and climate policy.
Climate campaign initiative · 2014
LeadingGreen
LeadingGreen was created jointly by LCV and the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund to address climate change through political advocacy and electoral organizing. The initiative later received support through the Democracy Alliance network and helped place climate politics within progressive campaign strategy.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Climate advertising and Democratic electoral support
United States · Arizona · Georgia · Michigan · Nevada · Pennsylvania · Wisconsin
LCV and its affiliated super PAC supported Democratic candidates and ran climate-related advertising in six swing states, including advertising associated with Kamala Harris's presidential campaign effort.
Outcome. The campaign made LCV one of the more prominent environmental political spenders in the 2024 election cycle.
- 2018Victory Fund midterm program
United States
LCV's affiliated political operation organized a large campaign program to support environmentally aligned candidates and oppose candidates associated with the Trump administration's environmental agenda.
Outcome. The organization reported approximately $80 million in spending through the Victory Fund and described the effort as successful in electing endorsed candidates, particularly in suburban districts.
- 2014LeadingGreen
United States
LCV and the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund launched a joint initiative aimed at building political support for climate action.
Outcome. The initiative was later included in the Democracy Alliance's funding portfolio.
- 1970Dirty Dozen
United States
LCV and Environmental Action created an early targeted electoral campaign identifying politicians with unfavorable environmental records.
Outcome. The list became a recurring feature of LCV's electoral accountability and voter-mobilization strategy.
Brand decisions
2024
Prioritize climate messaging in swing-state electionsStrategyBackground
The 2024 presidential election created a high-profile contest over climate policy and the future of federal environmental regulation.
Action taken
LCV and affiliated political entities supported Democratic candidates and funded climate-related advertising in six swing states.
Aftermath
The effort reinforced LCV's role as a major environmental participant in national Democratic electoral campaigns.
2018
Scale electoral investment through the Victory FundStrategyBackground
LCV opposed the Trump administration's environmental policies and sought to elect candidates more supportive of climate and conservation priorities.
Action taken
The affiliated political operation pledged major resources to environmental candidates and expanded its midterm campaign program.
Aftermath
The Victory Fund reportedly spent approximately $80 million in the midterms and claimed strong results among endorsed candidates.
Victory Fund spending. $80 million (2018 U.S. midterm elections)
2014
Create a dedicated climate advocacy initiativeStrategyBackground
Climate change was becoming a central issue for environmental organizations and electoral campaigns.
Action taken
LCV partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund to launch LeadingGreen.
Aftermath
LeadingGreen later entered the Democracy Alliance's funding portfolio and became part of the progressive climate-campaign ecosystem.
1970
Launch LCV as an independent political committeeStrategyBackground
The original plan associated LCV with Friends of the Earth created legal concerns under federal campaign law.
Action taken
Marion Edey established LCV independently rather than as a subsidiary of another nonprofit organization.
Aftermath
The independent structure allowed LCV to develop its own voter-education, candidate-accountability, and electoral-advocacy programs.
Recent events
- 2024
Gene Karpinski announces planned departure from LCV presidency[1]
Leadership change
Longtime president Gene Karpinski announced that he would step down in 2025 once the organization appointed a successor.
- 2024
LCV expands major electoral and climate advertising efforts in 2024[1]
Campaign
LCV and affiliated political operations supported Democratic candidates and climate-related advertising, including a campaign in six swing states on behalf of Kamala Harris and other Democrats.
- 2018
LCV commits major resources to environmental candidates in the 2018 midterms[1]
Campaign
The organization's affiliated political operation pledged significant funding for environmentally aligned candidates and ultimately spent approximately $80 million through its Victory Fund during the midterm elections.
- 2015
LeadingGreen becomes part of the Democracy Alliance funding portfolio[1]
Campaign
The climate-focused LeadingGreen initiative, launched by LCV and the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund, was added to the Democracy Alliance's funding portfolio.
Sources2 sources
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