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Floridians support climate change candidates, but polls show otherwise

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Floridians support climate change candidates, but polls show otherwise

John Kennedy
| Office of Capital | USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA

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A poll shows most Floridians would support political candidates who embrace efforts to reduce the risk of climate change, but those findings stand in stark contrast to the contenders leading the state’s primary races.

Florida leader and former president Donald Trump has derided climate change as a “hoax” and vowed to pursue oil drilling if he is returned to the White House.

US Senator Rick Scott, who has drawn attention for acknowledging climate change after previously refusing to do so, could also be on track to win a second term.

While most of the climate-change-resistant members of Florida’s Republican-dominated congressional delegation are also on track to win on Nov. 5, Florida Atlantic University found that 52 percent of Florida residents state they said a candidate with a record of reducing climate impacts was more likely to get their vote.

Florida was severely damaged by major hurricanes Helene and Milton. But FAU’s survey of 1,400 Floridians was conducted in early September, before massive storms hit the state and made the issue a top concern for many residents.

More GOP voters reluctant to embrace climate change fighters

While most Floridians say they would support candidates who fight climate change, the partisan breakdown of pollsters offers a clue as to why Trump, Scott and other near-wins aren’t hurt by their stance on the topic

FAU found that while an overwhelming 74 percent of Democrats are more likely to vote for a climate change fighter, only 35 percent of Republicans and 39 percent of no-party voters would. Republicans have a lead of more than a million people over Democrats among registered voters in Florida.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7%.

“Floridians are experiencing enough of the weather challenges predicted by climate change researchers that most adults in the state now see value in some form of collective action to fight climate change,” said Colin Polsky, vice president from FAU and professor of geosciences. .

The FAU poll also found strong support for climate action, with 57 percent saying the state of Florida should enact policies that address climate impact and 67 percent calling on the federal government to do more

Do people really vote for climate change?

But Jeff Chanton, a climate scientist at Florida State University, said there is a clear disconnect between climate change and the candidates chosen by voters.

“No one votes on this issue,” Chanton said of climate change.

Chanton was among a handful of Florida climate experts who met a decade ago with Scott, then Florida’s governor, to urge him to accept the threat climate change posed to Florida. The meeting was mostly one-sided and did not cause Scott to abruptly change course.

But after Hurricane Helene hit the state last month, Scott drew attention when he told CNN, “The climate is clearly changing,” echoing a view he had previously expressed only in the occasional press release or newspaper opinion piece.

But Scott, like most Republican leaders, has focused largely on coastal rebuilding and resilience efforts, opposing policies aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

DeSantis deletes references to climate change

Scott’s successor, Gov. Ron DeSantis, signed legislation this year removing references to climate change from state law. The governor also rejected more than $350 million in federal funding for energy efficiency initiatives and another $320 million to reduce vehicle emissions.

In the state Legislature, Republicans who signed off on DeSantis’ climate change cleanup are poised to maintain a supermajority in the state Senate, though they may not be able to retain two-thirds control in the House.

Deepen: After Hurricane Helene, with the election coming up, Rick Scott is talking a little louder about climate change

Also: Trump’s campaign is built on climate change denial: six misleading claims debunked

Florida Democrats on Monday sought to cite Scott’s resistance to major climate change policies in promoting Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. They also took aim at other Republicans for not embracing the issue.

“We’re going to see a lot more of these very powerful storms hitting us,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp, a Democrat now challenging U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, a Tampa Republican seeking a second term. mandate to Congress.

“For the state of Florida, we have done little to prepare for climate change or even to mitigate climate change,” Kemp added. “But we are ground zero.”

However, a University of North Florida poll released Monday showed former President Trump with a significant 53%-43% lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in Florida, while Scott trailed Mucarsel-Powell by 49 %-46% in the survey of 977 people. Florida Voters in Florida’s Top 10 Media Markets.

The survey was conducted from October 7 to 18. While it suggests the presidential race may be virtually decided in Florida, the U.S. Senate race remains more in doubt.

“By just three percentage points, Rick Scott’s lead is significantly narrower than Trump’s, similar to what we saw in July,” UNF pollster Michael Binder said. “As in the rest of the country, Trump is running significantly ahead of the same state Senate candidates.”

From Monday: Will Florida’s Abortion and Recreational Marijuana Amendments Pass? Check out the latest poll predictions

John Kennedy is a reporter in the Florida capital bureau for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at [email protected] or X a @JKennedyReport.

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