NEW YORK TIMES POLL: Voters Overwhelmingly Back Biden Clean Energy Plan
Washington, D.C. — A poll released today by the New York Times/Siena College underscores that climate is increasingly emerging as a political factor in the 2020 elections as voters broadly support climate action plans from candidates.
The survey found overwhelming support for former Vice President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion plan to invest in clean energy infrastructure, with voters supporting the plan by a 2:1 margin (66% to 26%). Biden’s climate proposal was among the highest-supported policy proposals tested in the poll.
“The consequences of climate change and climate denial affect all Americans. Voters of all backgrounds recognize the importance of leaders who not only believe in climate change but have a plan to combat the climate crisis and create millions of jobs,” said Climate Power 2020 Executive Director Lori Lodes. “After four years of Trump’s refusal to listen to experts and ignoring science, Biden’s clean energy plan is clearly motivating voters.”
Support for the Biden clean energy plan spans demographics across age, race/ethnicity, and education level:
- 18-29 years old: 80%
- 30-44 years old: 68%
- 45-64 years old: 64%
- 65+ years old: 60%
- White voters: 64%
- Black voters: 77%
- Latinos: 70%
- Dems: 89%
- Independents: 60%
- GOP: 45%
- White college-educated voters: 71%
- White voters without a college education: 59%
Notably, the proposal has strong support across the country with more than 60% of voters in the Midwest (63%), South (64%), and West (69%) supporting the policy. In the Northeast, 58% of voters approve of the infrastructure investment plan, tracking with previous Climate Power 2020 polling that found voters in Pennsylvania are pro-clean energy development. Today’s polling and the Pennsylvania poll shows how conventional wisdom that Biden’s plan would hurt him with voters in the key battleground state is outdated.
In addition to today’s poll, last week Climate Power 2020 released a new analysis of polling data showing that Trump and the GOP’s false and misleading attacks on Biden’s climate plan and the Green New Deal are not resonating with voters. This analysis shows that a majority of voters prefer pro-climate policies, support Biden’s plan to have 100% clean electricity by 2035, and invest $2 trillion in clean energy infrastructure. These findings were consistent with the polling of key battleground states’ voters, including Maine, Arizona, Iowa, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Trump’s must-win state of Pennsylvania.
The recent polling is clear: bold climate action is resonating with voters of all backgrounds and across key battleground states as voting begins around the country.