Candidates in this year’s U.S. midterm elections are increasingly addressing climate-related concerns without naming climate change, according to Inside Climate News. The trend, known as “climate hushing,” reflects campaigners’ worries that the topic could trigger political backlash or distract from issues voters rank more highly, such as the cost of living.
A survey by the Environmental Voter Project found that 66 percent of battleground-state voters ranked the cost of living among their top concerns, compared with 16 percent who said the same of climate change and pollution. A University of California, Santa Barbara, team testing the case for climate hushing also found climate ranked 12th among 15 issues. Some Democratic strategists argue that the word “climate” itself can be politically damaging with some voters.
But other polling points to demand for more discussion. Likely voters in eight Senate battleground states said politicians should talk more about climate and pollution rather than less, by 59 percent to 17 percent, the Environmental Voter Project reported. A separate poll of likely Florida voters found 61 percent favored protecting the environment over economic growth, compared with 26 percent who chose economic growth. Among registered Republicans, the figures were 48 percent and 35 percent, respectively.
In Florida, environmental concerns have surfaced in discussions about data centers, electricity costs, water and hurricane recovery, even when people do not call them climate issues. Inside Climate News’ Kate Waxman writes that candidates’ silence may reinforce the impression that climate matters less than it does, as voters often take cues from political leaders.
The newsletter also reports that mentions of climate change in Democrats’ congressional press releases fell after 2025, while energy affordability received more attention after the Iran war drove oil prices higher. Syracuse University geographer Matthew Huber argued in The New York Times this spring that, for now, saying nothing might be preferable.
Inside Climate News Washington bureau chief Marianne Lavelle told Waxman that some Democrats are considering climate legislation designed to win bipartisan support. She said energy affordability could be an area of agreement, given the competitiveness and lower costs of solar and wind in some places.
Sources: Inside Climate News.