Winning the West: Election 2016
How public lands and the outdoor economy became wedge issues in key races
Mountain West states were a political force in the 2016 election, hosting a number of competitive statewide and congressional races. While energy development has long been a prominent topic in Western races, in this cycle the outdoor recreation economy and public lands conservation became wedge issues in a number of key contests.
Across the West, voters have consistently referred to the outdoors and conservation as key aspects of their quality of life. Increasingly, voters also agree that the national public lands are a vital economic driver, strengthening outdoor recreation businesses and attracting new industries. At the same time, a far-right movement has pushed for these public lands to be transferred to state and private hands.
In the new report, Winning the West, the Center for Western Priorities examines key races in Montana, Colorado and Nevada, finding that candidates across the political spectrum tried to stake out positions supporting the continued federal ownership of public lands.
View the full Winning the West report.
Montana Governor Steve Bullock, a Democrat, won reelection even though Donald Trump carried the state by 20 points, in large part due to his support for public lands. Understanding how deeply Montana voters care about access to public lands, Bullock promoted his track record of vetoing public lands transfer legislation while noting that his opponent, Greg Gianforte, had sued the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to block public access to a popular stretch of the East Gallatin River that abutted Gianforte’s property.
In Colorado’s Senate race, Michael Bennet campaigned on his record of fighting to protect national public lands, investing in renewable energy and promoting the outdoor recreation economy. While campaigning in this presidential swing state, Hillary Clinton touted her support for the outdoor recreation economy and key surrogate Donald Trump Jr. bucked the Republican platform by promising to “keep public lands public and accessible.”
