©2025 League of Conservation Voters
TO: Interested Parties
FR: Sara Schreiber, SVP of Campaigns, League of Conservation Voters
RE: Electricity Bills: The Kitchen Table Issue Driving Dem Wins in 2025 and Beyond
Decisive victories for Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, and Democratic candidates for Georgia Public Service Commission prove that electricity bills are the kitchen table issue driving Democratic wins in 2025 and beyond.
In Georgia, New Jersey, and Virginia there was a clear line drawn between candidates responding to voters’ concerns about energy costs with real solutions, and those toeing the MAGA party line. Candidates who ignore rising energy costs do so at their own peril. This election was a decisive rejection of the Trump Administration’s ban on clean energy, multi-million dollar taxpayer bailouts for expensive dirtier energy sources like coal, and other ineffective proposals that will make costs go even higher.
Cost of living continues to be a major issue on voters’ minds, with rising energy costs among their top household budget concerns. Recent polling shows that the majority of voters believe that elected leaders have an impact on electricity costs. A majority of Americans also attribute rising costs to the GOP agenda, utility companies, and Big Oil CEOs. The reasoning is simple. The public understands that actively blocking the development of the cheapest and fastest-to-deploy power sources–wind, solar, and battery storage – only leads to more expensive options dominating the grid.
Grounded in this understanding of voters’ concerns, LCV’s state affiliates in Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia invested a total of $7 million in robust campaigns to engage and educate voters about which candidates are focused on lowering energy costs and which candidates will raise costs even more.
“Mikie’s plan to cap energy prices in the short term and speed approval of new solar energy projects, the cheapest energy in America, while safeguarding our open space and environmental protections, will create union jobs while providing cheap, clean energy that we need to lower costs for the long term,” Ed Potosnak, NJLCV Executive Director
One of the most closely watched races in the country was the fight for New Jersey Governor where ratepayers were hit with a 20% increase in utility bills in June. Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill was laser-focused on her affordability agenda, which she announced early in the race to tackle rising costs by building more clean energy and committed to implement a full rate freeze on day one in office. Her MAGA Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli promised to take power off the grid by opposing proven and homegrown energy generation like offshore wind and an independent analysis found that his plan would cost New Jerseyans $900 per year in new energy costs.
“We’re willing to roll up our sleeves and work with lawmakers to find the best fix for how we make sure that customers are being treated fairly and that big corporations are paying their share of … the bills and the need for additional electricity in the grid,” – Mike Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.
In the Virginia governor’s race, energy costs dominated the headlines and airwaves. This contrast also filtered into races for the Virginia House of Delegates where Democrats are on track for historic pickups. The proliferation of data centers in Virginia, which is now home to over a third of data centers worldwide, made the associated increased energy rates a flashpoint issue in down-ballot races.
Spanberger focused relentlessly on affordability with policies that addressed data centers directly to ensure they are “paying their fair share” and committed to building out clean energy projects long stalled by both Governor Youngkin and new blockades from the Trump Administration. Earle-Sears campaign chose to focus on culture issues to divide the electorate. When she addressed rising energy costs, she promised to gut the state’s landmark clean energy law and pull out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative despite the thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investments both have brought to Virginians.
“There’s never been an issue that’s more kitchen table than the power bill. We have an opportunity to have an uncluttered conversation about it. We can talk to voters directly.” — Brionté McCorkle, executive director at the Georgia Conservation Voters to Politico.
The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) had two seats of their five member board up for statewide election this year. The Commission oversees the state’s utilities and has oversight over utility rates and future energy development. Until now, all 5 seats were occupied by Republicans who repeatedly voted to hike rates – raising bills by over $500 a year for the average Georgia family. Meanwhile elections were delayed due to a Voting Rights Act lawsuit followed by anti-democratic state government actions. That means this was the first time Georgia voters had the chance to make their voices heard since numerous utility bill rate hikes were approved by the commission
Commissioners-elect Peter Hubbard and Dr. Alicia Johnson, the two Democratic challengers, made rising costs central to their campaign with a statewide “My Power Bill’s Too High” tour in the closing days of the race. Meanwhile the Republican candidates turned to familiar 2024 culture and racially coded attacks with incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols saying Dr. Alicia Johnson, a Black woman, “wants to bring DEI and wokeness to the PSC.”
The political lessons from these high energy prices will not be limited to a single election cycle. The energy affordability crisis is a seismic event that will shape next year’s elections and beyond. In 2026, any candidate who supports a high-cost energy agenda will face an activated electorate ready to vote for change. The winning message is clear and effective: more clean energy means more jobs and lower energy bills. This year’s results are a clear signal of where political power will shift. Americans are saying loud and clear: cheap, clean energy is the future and anything less is fiscally and politically irresponsible.
©2025 League of Conservation Voters