Even as the Mississippi River withers from drought and Floridians struggle to recover from Hurricane Ian, the climate crisis is not a deciding issue in the final stretch of the U.S. midterm campaigns.
"Will it be an electoral force in the 2022 midterms? No,” says Danielle Deiseroth, lead climate strategist at the progressive research firm Data for Progress. "The data shows that, and it’s just the fact of where we are right now.” Instead, abortion, inflation and public safety are among voters’ top priorities going into election day on Nov. 8.
Historically, climate change has not mattered much to American voters across the political spectrum. While it continues to remain a low priority for Republicans, recent election cycles show a shift is underway among Democrats, in part due to moderates’ growing concern about the issue and increased political participation by younger voters who have only known a warming world.