Democrats have backed away from mentioning “climate change” on the campaign trail, shifting their messaging to focus instead on energy affordability.
In 2019, many Democrats championed federal climate initiatives such as the “Green New Deal,” which called for a massive reorganization of the economy to reduce emissions and radically increase spending on clean energy.
As energy costs have risen in recent years, though, Democrats have changed their rhetoric. They have increasingly avoided using words like “climate change” or “global warming” in press releases. Key members of the party have put forward energy security plans that include a role for oil and gas.
Here is how the Democratic Senate candidates are campaigning on climate and energy issues in competitive states this year, and their stance on the Green New Deal.
GEORGIA
Jon Ossoff
Campaign priorities: Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) reelection campaign has focused on energy affordability.
He has said that rising electricity and other household costs have been a concern for those in Georgia. Ossoff has also focused on ensuring that the growth of data centers does not raise energy costs for households.
“Groceries, rent, power, a meal out at a restaurant, all of these things hit their all-time record high this year,” Ossoff said in April. “The power bill is skyrocketing. We’re in the middle right now of a global energy crisis.”
Does he support the Green New Deal? Ossoff opposed the Green New Deal in 2020.
However, he has expressed concerns about the impact of climate change. In 2021, Ossoff spoke in favor of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which contained some clean energy provisions, stating that “we’re making a national decision about the future of our planet and the future of our society.”
Ossoff last year also pressed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for canceling public health and environmental grants.
NORTH CAROLINA
Roy Cooper
Campaign priorities: Former Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina’s priorities, as listed on his website, are lowering costs related to household utilities, energy, and groceries.
He has previously called for limiting carbon emissions.
In 2024, Cooper spoke at the New York Times Climate Forward conference, where he noted that “most everyday people understand that we need to move to renewable clean energy, we need to take steps to become more sustainable, energy efficient. And we need to have leaders who will do that.”
Cooper said at the conference that climate change isn’t necessarily the top issue for candidates, but environmental groups know which candidates will help in the fight against climate change.
“You have to meet people where they are, and not change your message. But you only have so much time in order to try to communicate with people,” Cooper said.
Does he support the Green New Deal? He has not endorsed the Green New Deal.
Cooper has been a strong proponent of measures to limit climate change in the past, but has not vocally supported the Green New Deal.
His opponent, Republican Michael Whatley, has recently tried to connect Cooper with the Green New Deal, stating that “Roy Cooper has always been a fan of the Green New Deal and the policies that Joe Biden put in place.”
A campaign spokesperson for Cooper told the Duke Chronicle that Whatley’s claim was “false.”
ALASKA
Mary Peltola
Campaign priorities: Former Rep. Mary Peltola’s energy priorities have focused on lowering electricity and fuel prices, including by expanding oil and gas production in the state. Peltola, as stated on her website, said she would also work to restore federal tax credits for solar, wind, and hydropower projects.
Peltola has also promised to expand the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which help low-income households pay for their energy bills.
Does she support the Green New Deal? Peltola has not endorsed the Green New Deal but has drawn attacks from Republicans for receiving endorsements from high-profile Democrats who back it, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), who introduced the initiative in 2019.
Peltola’s campaign rejected the idea that endorsements define her candidacy.
“Mary’s record is clear: She will always put Alaska First, and no one from the Lower 48 will ever tell her how to vote or how to think,” a campaign spokesperson told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
“That’s why she took on her own party to secure the Willow project [an oil drilling project] after years of delays, and why she has been a strong advocate of the Alaska LNG pipeline project,” the spokesperson added.
Peltola has also said she “likes the concepts” contained in the Green New Deal framework, even as she argues oil and gas will remain central to Alaska’s future.
IOWA
Josh Turek
Campaign priorities: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek has campaigned on energy affordability, focusing on the cost of living for families and farmers.
“The thing I hear the most, ‘I am struggling to keep food on the table, a roof over my head, pay my electric bill; and now with stupid war in Iran, struggling just to keep gas in my tank,’” Turek said at a tailgate at Iowa State University.
Turek has supported the state’s wind and solar energy resources. He has also supported expanding renewable fuels, visiting ethanol plants and calling for higher blends of ethanol in gasoline year-round.
Does he support the Green New Deal? He has not endorsed or campaigned on the Green New Deal.
GOP candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson has accused Turek of supporting climate and environmental policies that harm farmers.
Earlier this year, Turek hosted a roundtable with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to talk to farmers, business owners, and homeowners about how climate change has affected insurance prices. Turek noted that Iowa has seen significant increases in insurance rates because of extreme weather events.
MAINE
Troy Jackson
Campaign priorities: Senate Democratic candidate Troy Jackson has made heating and energy costs a focal point of his campaign. Maine has seen record-high heating oil prices. Jackson supports expanding the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps certain homeowners and renters with energy costs.
Jackson worked as a state senator, including as Senate president from 2018 to 2024. He also worked as a logger and has sponsored a bill to ban aerial spraying of glyphosate, which is used by logging companies and some large landowners.
He also sponsored several unsuccessful bond measures and other bills that supported research into the use of woody biomass. Jackson led the effort to pass legislation in 2021 to build onshore wind power in Aroostook County and a transmission line to carry the power south to Maine and New England.
Does he support the Green New Deal? He has not endorsed or campaigned on the Green New Deal.
Jackson received a lifetime score of 81% for his legislative tenure from the green group Maine Conservation Voters.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Chris Pappas
Campaign priorities: Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) has focused on energy affordability but as a lawmaker and candidate continues to push for environmental protections and clean energy.
On his website, one of his priorities is listed as “Lowering Energy Costs and Protecting the Environment.” He says he is supporting an all-of-the-above energy strategy.
But he also noted that he aims to protect the environment and “address the existential threat of climate change” by investing in clean energy solutions.
Does he support the Green New Deal? In 2018, he supported to create a select committee to examine the Green New Deal.
As a congressman, he has supported legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law in August 2022. It was deemed Biden’s signature climate law, providing hundreds of billions of dollars for tax credits and programs to bolster the clean energy sector (much of that funding was repealed by the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act). He also supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Pappas has also supported strict limits on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are synthetic chemicals that can be found in an array of consumer products, including clothing, shampoo, electronics, and cleaning products. PFAS have been referred to as “forever chemicals.”
Pappas received a 97% lifetime score on the League of Conservation Voters for his legislative record. He was also endorsed by the green group the Sierra Club.
OHIO
Sherrod Brown
Campaign priorities: Former Sen. Sherrod Brown has focused on lowering electricity bills and has sought to hold utility companies accountable for high prices.
“Our utility bills are higher than ever because no one is holding the utility companies accountable,” Brown wrote on X last month. “It’s time we cap how much these companies can increase electricity rates and lower costs for working families.”
Does he support the Green New Deal? In 2019, he decided not to sign on as co-sponsor of the Green New Deal. But, at the time, he said he did support “aggressively addressing climate change.”
As a senator, he voted for the Inflation Reduction Act but in 2024, he began to take positions contrary to Democrats’ agenda on matters like electric vehicles and power plant regulations. His efforts to distance himself from the Biden administration came as he ran for reelection. He lost that race, but is now seeking to return to the Senate.
TEXAS
James Talarico
Campaign priorities: Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico supports an all-of-the-above energy agenda but has noted the importance of combating climate change.
According to his website, one of Talarico’s priorities is to reinstate federal tax credits for clean energy. He also wants to streamline permitting processes for energy projects and make gas more affordable.
Talarico has called for the expansion of LIHEAP to help low-income households afford their utility bills. He also supports expanding the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program and eligibility for FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program.
He also wants to dedicate greater federal resources to strengthening the grid.
Does he support the Green New Deal? He has not endorsed or campaigned on the Green New Deal.
In 2021, when he served as a state lawmaker, he authored the Texas Climate Action Act, which would aim to reduce the state’s emissions by 90% by 2050.
In an interview with CBS News, Talarico was asked about the bill and whether it could have hurt Texas’s oil and gas industry.
“I support our oil and gas industry. I had family members who worked in the industry. I went to public schools here in Texas, funded by the oil and gas industry. What I’m opposing is greenhouse emissions. There are ways that we can support our oil and gas industry while limiting those emissions,” Talarico said.
“In fact, ExxonMobil has been a leader in carbon capture, ensuring that our oil and gas industry can continue to grow while capturing these harmful emissions so we can both grow our Texas energy industry and protect our planet,” he added.
MICHIGAN
Abdul el Sayed
Campaign priorities: Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed has been campaigning on energy and environmental priorities.
Like many other Democratic candidates, el Sayed has focused on the high energy costs that many people are facing. According to his website, el Sayed said he will focus on a pathway to 100% renewable energy, including massive investments in solar, wind, battery storage, and modernizing the grid.
El Sayed has also promised to ensure that households in Michigan have access to clean water. He said he will look to accelerate federal infrastructure funding to remove every lead pipe in the state’s water system by 2030.
He also plans to hold polluters accountable for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination, also known as “forever chemicals.”
Does he support the Green New Deal? He has previously backed the Green New Deal, but has since distanced himself from the initiative.
While serving as a public health official, el Sayed wrote an op-ed in 2019 strongly supporting the Green New Deal, arguing that reducing greenhouse gas emissions will help improve public health.
El Sayed in August joined Fox News, where he faced the assertion that he wants to phase out internal combustion car engines due to his past support for the Green New Deal.
“Look, I’m not going to defend the Green New Deal,” el Sayed said.
Green groups like Clean Water Action and the Sierra Club have endorsed el Sayed.
MINNESOTA
Peggy Flanagan
Campaign priorities: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has focused her campaign on energy affordability, emphasizing the cost of gas and food.
“It took 216 days for Michele Tafoya [her opponent] to say that the war in Iran was wrong. Up until that point she had been lockstep with Donald Trump, and in particular when asked about the high cost of fuel and diesel prices, she said people should keep a stiff upper lip and take one less trip to Starbucks,” Flanagan told CBS News. “That is not an economic plan.”
Does she support the Green New Deal? Flanagan has not endorsed or campaigned on the Green New Deal.
As lieutenant governor, Flanagan has supported the One Minnesota Path to Clean Energy, which is a set of policies to push Minnesota to reach 100% renewable energy by 2050.
She has opposed the Trump administration’s rollback of clean energy. Flanagan also promised to protect Minnesota’s water from pollution.
KANSAS
Adam Hamilton
Campaign priorities: Adam Hamilton has centered his campaign on energy costs.
Hamilton’s website said “Congress has failed to act to bring costs down for Kansas families, and the White House has made things worse. We need a comprehensive, all of the above strategy that creates jobs and increases energy independence while bringing down costs for consumers today.”
He said he plans to restore tax credits for clean energy. Hamilton has also said he would require competitive bidding processes for transmission projects.
Does he support the Green New Deal? Hamilton told the Washington Examiner in a statement that he does not support the Green New Deal. He noted that he supports all-of-the-above energy policy.
“As I travel across Kansas, I hear from voters of all political stripes who are frustrated with their sitting Senator for not being focused on the issues impacting them, whether its the war in Iran driving up fuel costs and crushing farmers, the tariffs are making life more expensive, or the federal cuts to healthcare leaving 1 in 50 Kansans without the care they had a year and half ago,” he said.
“[Roger] Marshall supports every single one of these policies. As Kansas’s next senator, I will listen to Kansans and fight for lower costs and expanded access to healthcare,” he added.
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NEBRASKA
Dan Osborn
Campaign priorities: Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn has focused his campaign on energy affordability.
Osborn has promised to focus on “energy independence,” which includes prioritizing nuclear, wind, and solar energy to lower fuel and electricity costs in Nebraska.
Osborn, who is a Navy veteran, would also push to end the war in Iran, which has increased global energy prices.
He has also promised to ensure that Nebraskans have clean air, water, and land.
Does he support the Green New Deal? He has not endorsed the Green New Deal or developed much of a climate platform.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Annie Andrews
Campaign priorities: South Carolina Senate Democratic candidate Annie Andrews has focused her campaign on energy affordability.
At the end of August, she launched the “Gas, Grits, and Groceries Tour” where she traveled across the state to unveil her plans to tackle affordability issues.
As part of that plan, she would prioritize ending the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs, suspend the gas tax, stop the war in Iran, and support the clean energy transition.
Does she support the Green New Deal? She has not endorsed the Green New Deal or developed much of a climate platform.