Voters in Upcoming Primary States Support Climate Action

A February 2020 survey of 1,934 registered voters across 26 U.S. primary states reveals strong support for government action on climate change and a preference for renewable energy over fossil fuels. A majority of respondents support the Green New Deal and specific policies such as a 100% national renewable portfolio standard by 2050. Climate change is a top-tier voting issue for Democrats in these states, and voters indicate they are more likely to support candidates who favor stronger pollution and fuel efficiency standards.

• A significant majority of voters in the surveyed 26 states support government action to address climate change, with 69% in support and 39% strongly supporting such action. Additionally, approximately 70% believe the federal government, state government, and their member of Congress should do more to address the issue.
• Climate change is a primary consideration for Democratic voters in these states, ranking as the second most important issue (29%) behind health care (43%). Overall, 18% of all voters in these states identify climate change as one of the two most important issues for their presidential vote.
• Voters show a strong preference for renewable energy over other sources, with 68% stating that developing wind and solar should be the most important priority for the country and 64% for their state. In contrast, natural gas and nuclear energy received significantly lower support (between 6% and 11%).
• There is broad support for specific climate policies: 71% support a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requiring 100% renewable electricity by 2050, and 59% support the Green New Deal. High levels of support also exist for providing job training and guaranteed wages to workers displaced from the oil, gas, and coal industries (79%).
• Voters report personal experiences with climate-related impacts, including 31% experiencing anxiety due to extreme weather and 20% experiencing property damage or economic hardships. Furthermore, 70% believe climate change is impacting U.S. agriculture and extreme weather events.

APA

A., L., E., M., J., K., & S., R. (2020). Voters in Upcoming Primary States Support Climate Action. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Voters-in-Upcoming-Primary-States-Support-Climate-Action-Climate-Nexus.pdf

Chicago

A., Leiserowitz,, Maibach, E., Kotcher, J., and Rosenthal, S. Voters in Upcoming Primary States Support Climate Action. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2020. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Voters-in-Upcoming-Primary-States-Support-Climate-Action-Climate-Nexus.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=A. |first1=Leiserowitz, |last2=E. |first2=Maibach, |last3=J. |first3=Kotcher, |last4=S. |first4=Rosenthal, |title=Voters in Upcoming Primary States Support Climate Action |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=2020 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Voters-in-Upcoming-Primary-States-Support-Climate-Action-Climate-Nexus.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{a2020voters, author = {A., Leiserowitz, and E., Maibach, and J., Kotcher, and S., Rosenthal,}, title = {{Voters in Upcoming Primary States Support Climate Action}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2020}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Voters-in-Upcoming-Primary-States-Support-Climate-Action-Climate-Nexus.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }