Nearly a year after their 2024 election defeat, Democrats are advised to downplay 'climate change' in favor of 'cheap energy' to better connect with voters. A new poll from the Searchlight Institute highlights a mismatch between public priorities and perceived Democratic focus. This shift reflects broader declines in climate discourse amid other pressing issues.
The 2024 election loss has prompted soul-searching among Democrats, with a key recommendation emerging: avoid emphasizing 'climate change.' According to a recent poll by the Searchlight Institute, a Democratic think tank, Americans view climate change as a problem but rank it below affordability and health care, especially in battleground states. Yet, voters believe Democrats prioritize climate change above all else, potentially portraying the party as out of touch.
"Advocates and elected officials should understand that their messages are actively weakened by a focus on ‘climate’ over affordability and low energy prices, and that voters are looking for immediate help with rising costs rather than solutions to abstract problems," the institute stated in its analysis.
Illinois Representative Sean Casten, a climate advocate, acknowledges the electoral challenges but persists in the discussion. Alongside California Representative Mike Levin, he introduced the Cheap Energy Agenda to link clean energy with lower bills. "There’s no obvious electoral upside in being really smart on energy and climate policy," Casten said. "Polling doesn’t tell you what you talk about. It tells you how you talk about it."
This advice comes amid fading climate visibility. Media coverage has halved since 2023, per Yale's Anthony Leiserowitz, and Google News searches for 'climate change' have sharply declined. Leiserowitz notes Americans remain worried about global warming, but elite discourse has shifted. The Sunrise Movement, once focused on the Green New Deal since its 2018 protest in Nancy Pelosi's office, now prioritizes resisting authoritarianism under President Trump. Executive Director Aru Shiney-Ajay emphasized, "Nobody wants to walk away from the issue of climate change... we need to constantly be reminding people that we are doing this because we are young people fighting for a livable future."
Groups like the League of Conservation Voters continue ads blaming Republicans for energy costs. Searchlight's Tré Easton urges recalibrating pitches without abandoning values, citing the 2024 results as evidence of needed change. Meanwhile, quiet bipartisan efforts, such as the ADVANCE Act for nuclear power signed by President Biden last year, show progress without polarizing rhetoric. Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz advocates framing issues around price: "The way to victory is to talk about price."