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Polling

NEW 2020 POST-ELECTION POLL: Climate and Clean Energy in the 2020 Election

Dec 1, 2020

Courtnee Connon, 727-744-4163, courtnee_connon@lcv.org

Washington, D.C. — Today, pollsters Jill Normington and Andrew Baumann joined LCV’s Pete Maysmith and Tiernan Sittenfeld for a briefing on LCV, Normington Petts, and Global Strategy Group’s joint post-election poll. 

WATCH: Post-election poll briefing

Immediately after the results were called in the presidential race, the groups went into the field with a new, post-election survey across the 10 battleground states that elected Joe Biden. The survey took a look into how key voters reacted to the issue of the climate crisis and how they expect the Biden-Harris administration to respond to critical climate issues.

Key Takeaways Include:

  • At least two-thirds of those who voted for each of Biden and the Democratic Senate and House candidates called climate an important issue for their vote.
  • Climate and clean energy was clearly a winning issue for Biden and Congressional Democrats.
  • Nearly two-thirds of voters agree that Biden campaigned on a plan to combat climate change by moving the country to a 100% clean energy and carbon free economy and now has a mandate to make that happen.
  • Over 60% support Biden’s plan that would move the country to a 100% clean and carbon-free economy and “set the country on an irreversible course to meet the ambitious climate progress that science demands.”
  • Voters across the political spectrum demonstrate very strong support for significant investments in clean energy as part of our economic recovery. 
  • Voters overwhelmingly believe that “bold action to combat climate change” will have a positive impact on public health, future generations, their own families, and the American economy as a whole.
  • Support for these positions is consistently strong among the Democratic coalition, conflicted voters (defined as voters who considered voting for both Trump and Biden), and turnout targets at the Presidential, Senate, and House levels.

A slide deck on the poll results can be found here.

“The climate crisis was a defining issue of the 2020 election and that is a fact,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Campaigns Pete Maysmith. “Voters understood what’s at stake and voted for the presidential candidate who would lead on climate, clean energy and the environment and economic recovery. The Biden-Harris administration will have the strongest mandate to act on climate and environmental justice of any U.S. president ever and that is exactly what voters across the country are demanding.”

“The results of this survey were unmistakable,” said Senior Vice President at Global Strategy Group’s Andrew Baumann. “Voters across the political spectrum are demanding significant investments in clean energy as part of our nation’s economic recovery.”

“The polling is clear — voters want bold action to combat climate change and they believe Joe Biden is the one for the job,” said Normington Petts’ Jill Normington. “Biden was preferred over Trump on climate change, clean energy, and the environment by a wide margin among even conflicted voters making this a winning issue for Biden and Congressional Democrats.”

“We’re really pleased that the Biden-Harris transition team is already acting on their climate mandate and preparing for an all-of-government approach to go big on climate and environmental justice starting on Day One,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “Economic policy is climate policy, and we’re confident they will ensure that climate solutions, environmental justice, and clean energy jobs are front and center as they lead our nation in rebuilding an economy that is more equitable, just, and sustainable.”

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