The League of Conservation Voters, a pro-environmental advocacy group, said it has endorsed Ted Strickland for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat in the November election.

The LCV Action Fund says it works to elect candidates “who will implement sound environmental policies.”

Mr. Strickland is the Democratic nominee taking on Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Rob Portman.

“In the more than 20 years I have known Ted Strickland, I've seen him work tirelessly to find responsible, common sense approaches that preserve our environment and strengthen our economy,” said Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund President Heather Taylor-Miesle.

“Governor Strickland knows that a strong clean energy economy, a healthy and vibrant Lake Erie, and a solution to the climate crisis is critical for Ohio's future,” she said.

As governor of Ohio from 2007 through 2010, Mr. Strickland signed into law a renewable portfolio standard calling for 25 percent of the state’s energy to be produced by advanced energy by 2025, the campaign said.

Mr. Strickland promoted solar energy, leading to the state to be ranked second in solar production and continued to be a top-five state for “green energy” production, according to the campaign, and the creation of 25,000 new advanced-energy manufacturing jobs, the campaign said.

"Funny that the League of Conservation Voters clearly forgot the praise and endorsements they gave Rob Portman for his bipartisan efforts on conservation through the years,” Portman campaign spokesman Michawn Rich said. “Under Former Governor Ted Strickland’s watch, Ohio lost more than 350,000 jobs and ranked 48th in job creation. He has the worst record of any Senate candidate in the country, and this endorsement is just another example of outside special interest groups coming in to rescue his struggling campaign.”

As a former congressman, Mr. Strickland served on the Energy and Commerce Committee and voted against additional oil and gas drilling, in favor of clean air and water protections, and to address the challenge of climate change, the campaign said.

Mr. Strickland said he was honored to have the endorsement. He said the clean energy industry “presents a tremendous source of opportunity for Ohio, and I believe it can help lead to an economic renewal in areas like where I grew up in Appalachia that have been hurt by a variety of market forces in the energy industry.”

Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058 or on Twitter @TomFTroy.

First Published March 25, 2016, 1:49 p.m.