MEMO: Energy affordability is driving New Jersey voters to the polls this election
tags
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Climate Power
DATE: October 28, 2026
RE: Energy affordability is driving New Jersey voters to the polls this election
In 2024, Trump and Republicans promised to cut energy costs in half. Instead, Trump and New Jersey Republicans slashed cheaper clean energy, entered a costly war in Iran, and paved the way for rapid data center expansion with no guardrails, all of which has led to skyrocketing gas and utility prices, while worsening air and water quality and slowing economic growth. Over the past year, energy affordability has become a top issue for voters struggling to choose between filling up their gas tanks, heating and cooling their homes, and putting food on the table for their families.
Voters aren’t happy, and they’re set to make their voices heard at the polls on November 3rd.
Trump and New Jersey Republicans’ policies are costing New Jerseyans
- New Jerseyans saw record-high utility rate increases this year and the average New Jersey family was projected to spend more than $1,100 on cooling costs this summer, with electricity bills up 28% since Trump and Congressional Republicans took over.
- voted for billions in tax breaks for data centers, and also voted to ban New Jersey and other states from placing their own guardrails on AI and data centers – as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, NJ-07 Rep. Kean Jr. voted for the provision three times before voting for it on the floor.
- Trump’s Iran War has cost the average family in NJ-07 an extra $926 at the pump. Rep. Kean repeatedly voted in support of the war, in addition to his support for the Republican budget plan that included $95 billion to continue funding the conflict.
- Between higher gas prices, utility bills, and tariffs, Trump has cost the average New Jersey family an extra $2,314 since he took office, and by the end of the year, that total could grow to $3,463.
Energy affordability dominated news cycles
- Heatmap: The Battleground Districts Where Electricity Bills Have Surged the Most
- In NJ-7, residents paid about 35% more on their electricity bills this September than two years ago; bills are up more than 18% over the past 12 months compared with the year before. Over that same time period, the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter moved Kean’s reelection race from “lean Republican” to “toss-up” to where it stands now: “lean Democrat.”
- Fox 5: High fuel and turnpike costs weigh on New York and New Jersey voters for 2026
- Because gas prices are so high in this part of the country, several political scientists up and down the Mid-Atlantic say that transportation costs are top of mind for voters in the area heading into the 2026 midterms. The reason gas prices are a unique indicator of voter behavior, is that for frequent drivers, they’re seeing those numbers broadcast in giant, illuminated numbers on every street corner every day, according to Dr. John Kennedy, professor of political science at West Chester University.
- NBC 10: NJ sees largest increase in energy bill costs, according to new report
- The report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee shows that residents in New Jersey paid about $260 more in utilities last year which is more than double the national average… NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency on utility costs during her inauguration in January. She signed two executive orders to combat what she described as an affordability crisis.
- North Jersey: Who’s to blame for NJ’s affordability crisis? Trump and Kean
- Rep. Tom Kean Jr., the Republican who represents New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, made matters worse by voting for a GOP budget bill that slashed clean energy tax credits he once claimed to support. Those credits spurred innovation, attracted private investment, and created jobs. His vote for OBBBA is projected to raise New Jersey families’ annual energy bills by $180 by 2030 and eliminate 10,000 jobs in that same year alone.
Rising costs drive votes
- A recent Stockton University poll found two in three New Jersey voters have greater confidence in Democrats than Republicans across major issues, especially when it comes to the cost of living (55% to 29%).
- In battleground states, 86% of voters say their utility bills are going up, and energy costs are now tied with housing as the second-biggest financial concern facing families.
- Research found that since January, the share of voters seriously concerned about gas prices has more than doubled, while concern about electricity costs is up 10 points. 58% of voters say congressional Republicans are making energy prices worse, compared to just 22% who say better.
Behind the money
- Trump has made as much as $21 million from his oil and gas investments since the start of the Iran war, bragging about the money these companies are making as Ohioans pay the price at the pump.
- Kean Jr. has purchased roughly $120,000 worth of AI stocks since April 2025 and profited as much as $30,000 from share sales.
- As of 2024, Kean Jr. held as much as $210,000 in oil and gas company investments, including up to $100,000 worth of stock in ConocoPhillips and up to $65,000 in Phillips 66. Both companies haveseen their share prices increase since the start of the war and havereported massive profits.
Available voices for interviews
- Jesse Lee, Senior Advisor for Climate Power
- Jeff Tittel, Former Director of New Jersey Sierra Club
- Ben Dziobek, Executive Director of Climate Revolution Action Network
Trump promised to cut energy costs in half. Instead, he and congressional Republicans — who passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — gutted clean energy investment and tilted the playing field toward expensive oil and gas, just as demand is exploding due to the proliferation of data centers. New Jerseyans are paying the price, and they’ve had enough of politicians enriching themselves as they struggle to afford their energy bills.
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