Here’s the Data Showing Why Dems Must Keep Talking About Climate

This trust gap is a key part of the argument that Data for Progress and Fossil Free Media are making. Their memo points to findings that, right now, neither party has a significant trust advantage on “electric utility bills” (D+1) or “the cost of living” (R+1). But Democrats do have major trust advantages on “climate change” (D+14) and “renewable energy development” (D+6). By articulating how their climate and clean energy agenda can address these bread-and-butter concerns, Democrats can leverage their advantage on climate to win voters’ trust on what will likely be the most significant issues in 2026 and 2028.

The formula for doing this is pretty simple: First, explain why bills are rising and who’s to blame (utilities, fossil fuel volatility, data-center demand, climate disasters); second, commit to implementing visible cost relief (rate freezes, clean energy buildout); and third, name who will pay (polluters and profiteers, not regular people). Or, to simplify all this into one clear campaign-ready sentence: “We’ll take on rising electricity bills by building the cheapest power and stopping monopoly price-gouging, all while making polluters, not families, pay their fair share.”

The best part about this populist approach to climate is how obviously it contrasts with Trump and the Republicans. Imagine being able to tout this contrast in every stump speech in 2026: Democrats are trying to expand cheap, clean energy to secure lower rates, while Trump is trying to keep outdated coal plants running, forcing ratepayers to shoulder billions in extra costs. Democrats are getting tough on price-gouging utilities, while Republicans are giving these corporations free rein. Democrats are fighting to make polluters pay for increasingly costly climate disasters; Republicans want all of us to pay for the damage Big Oil caused.