Yesterday was primary day here in Washington, D.C., as well as nine other  states in the U.S.  While  I was voting for mayor (we don't have any voting representive or senator in Congress), other  states were deciding who would  run for Congress in November.  

One of the few really tight races decided yesterday was the Republican primary in Rhode Island.  Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee,  who is  widely viewed as a moderate and a great conservationist, won the election and will be running for his second term in November. He has supported the Climate Stewardship Act, opposed drilling and development on public lands and has helped protect the Endangered Species Act.  

Sen. Chafee's opponent, Stephen Laffey,  had a  much worse conservation platform--supporting increased drilling on  public lands, more logging in national forests and no firm commitment on solutions to global warming. Yesterday's Rhode Island Republican primary was a clear conservation victory!

With less than two months till the next election, now is the time to start looking into your local candidate's policies and records.  Does the candidate you support, support you?   What is his or her position on hunting and fishing issues--public access to public lands, funding for wildlife and, of course, global warming?