7 of the "Dirty Dozen" Ousted in Election

When Democrats took greater control over Congress on Election Day, they also managed to oust some of the legislators who had the worst records on environmental issues, according to the League of Conservation Voters.

The group publishes a list of the "Dirty Dozen" each year, highlighting those lawmakers that have voted against environmental protections the most. This election day, at least seven of the 12 were voted out of office.

Here's a look at who's out and who is still in.

Voted Out

1. Rep. Tim Walberg - R, Michigan
   Walberg served only one term, but distinguished himself as a reliable vote against the environment. He scored just 5% (out of 100) on LCV's annual ranking of votes on environmental issues. In 2007 and 2008, he voted against ever piece of legislation but one that LCV identified as key for improving energy efficiency and investing in clean energy. He also voted against the No Child Left Inside Act, which funds outdoor programs for school age children.

   Democrat Mark Schauer won his seat Tuesday.

2. Rep. Anne Northrop - R, Kentucky
   Northrop had a dismal 7% lifetime LCV score when she was voted out of office in 2006, and voters opted to give the incumbent who defeated her, Democrat John Yarmuth, another term.

3. Sen. Elizabeth Dole - R, North Carolina
   Dole's 2008 reelection campaign will be remembered for the ad that accused her challenger, Democrat Kay Hagan, of being "godless" with a fake voice-over meant to sound like Hagan. But Dole's record as a Senator did more damage to the country. She had just a 4% lifetime LCV voting score.

   In 2008, she voted against renewable energy production and energy conservation measures, but supported subsidies for oil companies while they were reaping record profits. (She also took more than a quarter million dollars of campaign contributions from Big Oil, according to LCV.) In 2007, she voted against raising the fuel economy of American vehicles and for the development of liquid coal fuels. And that just scrapes the surface.

4. Dean Andal
   Andal had a 9% LCV rating as a state senator when he chose to run against Democrat Jerry McNerney, a renewable energy advocate, for his Congressional seat. Voters didn't buy it.

5. Rep. Steve Pearce - R, New Mexico
   In just one of 80 chances, over five years as a U.S. representative, did Pearce vote in favor of environmental protections favored by the LCV. He consistently voted against renewable energy development, and in favor of oil and gas drilling. In his race for a Senate seat, voters opted for his challenger, Rep. Tom Udall, for the seat vacated by Sen. Pete Domenici, who never scored better than 20% on LCV's annual Scorecard (and twice scored zero) in the last decade in the Senate.

6. Rep. Bob Schaffer - R, Colorado
   A former congressman, Schaffer lost to Rep. Mark Udall in a race for the Senate in Colorado. He left Congress to work for an oil company, and his campaign received significant funding from the oil industry, according to LCV.

7. Rep. Joe Knollenberg - R, Michigan
   Knollenberg is synonymous with inaction on global warming. He twice tried to pass an amendment that would have barred federal agencies from doing anything about global warming, including holding educational seminars. That line of thinking was of a piece with his voting record, which has favored polluting industries over clean energy. Voters opted for something new, Democrat Gary Peters.

Voted Back In

While there will be significantly fewer lawmakers with a proven track record of voting against the environment, several members to the LCV's Dirty Dozen won election: Sen. John Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, who famously called global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people" won re-election, as did Sen. Mary Landrieu and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Sen. Ted Stevens, convicted of felony corruption in a case related to gifts from an oil services company, holds a narrow lead in his race. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, easily won re-election and Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, is leading in a still-officially undecided race.

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