Green the Vote

Richard Manning profiles the Democratic officeholders in Western states who are leading the fight for progressive environmental policies [“Political Climbers,” Report, August]. Manning believes that a pro-conservation agenda will continue to produce political and economic dividends in purple states such as Colorado and New Mexico, and occasionally even in red states such as Montana and Wyoming. Environmentalism appeals to the increasingly nonnative and well-educated population in such places — people who were drawn to the West for its landscapes and opportunities for outdoor recreation. Consequently, Manning writes, it is now possible for Democrats to build winning coalitions for…