Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, some Democrats campaigned on global warming and highlighted a major clean-energy bill passed by Congress that summer. This year, many Democratic candidates have largely avoided discussing climate change, pointing to a change in the party’s approach.
Democrats have spoken less about rising temperatures, sea levels and wildfires. Some candidates have also shown support for fossil-fuel industries in their states, including Senate candidates James Talarico in Texas and Mary Peltola in Alaska. Democratic governors Kathy Hochul of New York and Maura Healey of Massachusetts have backed expanding natural-gas supplies to reduce costs.
Many elected Democrats continue to support cutting emissions, but some have said they are reluctant to foreground climate policy while voters are focused on costs and inflation. Polls cited in the report indicate that voters see climate change as a problem but rank it below other priorities.
Adam Jentleson, a Democratic operative who leads the Searchlight Institute, said the issue has become politically charged and is associated by some voters with cultural elitism. He said the institute’s polling suggests that presenting climate change as a priority can lead people to expect higher costs and fewer consumer choices, while drawing attention away from the cost of living.
Sources: The New York Times Science.