We are using small set of data from local campaign contribution from OpenSecrets API, and the dummy data to show what a tracking dashboard could look like.
The Climate Election Tracker
Following the Money Behind Local Environmental Legislation
Environmental policies maybe won or lost long before a vote is cast on the legislative floor. This scorecard contrasting the campaign contributions politicians accept from heavy industries against their voting records on critical climate related bills.
Representative Profiles
- OpenSecrets API: Indexes PAC donations and private corporate election expenditures nationwide.
- LegiScan API: Monitored roll-call vote tracking histories on key state and federal climate bills.
- Leaflet.js: Implements map interfaces mapped directly to legislative capitals and districts.
This tracking architecture was engineered by an Ecolyst team member working with AI to support investigative student journalism, election transparency, and open public access to political finance records.
While the political dynamics play out a bit differently on each side, campaign contributions from heavy industries, and the environmental voting patterns that follow them. We definitely notice its cross party lines.
Things to look for :
- Who signed the check?
- What’s the voting record?
Sometimes, the money tells a much more than the political party platform does.
