After Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday night that he is dropping out of the 2020 presidential race, climate campaigners expressed gratitude for his visionary environmental agenda and his efforts to elevate the planetary emergency to the center of the Democratic primary contest.

“We’ll miss you in this race, Jay Inslee,” tweeted Varshini Prakash, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, the youth-led climate group that Inslee cited as a key inspiration behind his campaign. “Thank you for setting the pace for our elected leaders on the climate crisis, running a historic campaign, and elevating this issue for all of us. We know this isn’t the end of our work together.”

Inslee made public his decision to exit the 2020 race during an interview on MSNBC Wednesday night.

“I’ve been fighting climate change for 25 years, and I’ve never been so confident of the ability of America now to reach critical mass, to move the ball,” said Inslee. “I believe we are going to have a candidate to fight this battle.”

“I’m inspired by the people I’ve met across this country, the young people in the Sunrise Movement and the climate strikers,” Inslee added. “These people have given me confidence we can move ahead.”

Inslee’s decision to leave the race comes just before the Democratic National Committee is set to vote on whether to host a 2020 presidential debate focused specifically on the climate crisis—an idea Inslee persistently advocated alongside grassroots climate activists.