Ask your candidates where they stand
This election year, we have the opportunity to vote for climate leaders all the way down the ballot. The candidates who are elected will make critical decisions for our communities and our climate – understanding their positions on the issues that matter most to you will maximize the impact of your voice.
Finding out if candidates in the running will take real action on climate change can feel challenging, so we compiled this list of questions to ask your candidates and help guide your research this election year.
Electing candidates that will work to protect our environment and local communities is a critical step in the fight against climate change. To find out which candidates are on your ballot this year, visit Ballotpedia to view your sample ballot and information on each candidate, and visit each candidate’s website to learn more and find out how to contact them. You can also visit vote.org to register to vote, check your registration status, get election reminders, locate your polling place or drop boxes, and more.
General Questions
- What does a bright climate future look like to you?
- Where will protecting our communities and the environment by addressing the climate crisis fall on your list of priorities once you take office? What will be the first issue you want to work on to protect the environment?
- What steps will you take to support the growth of the clean energy industry and advance the transition to a zero-carbon economy?
- How will you work toward environmental justice and protect the vulnerable communities that currently bear the brunt of climate change and the impacts of energy development?
- What steps will you take to ensure our state reduces our carbon emissions? Do you have an emissions reduction target or timeline?
- What will you do to support the adoption of electric vehicles?
- How will you ensure all communities can equitably access to public lands and outdoor recreation opportunities?
- How will you incentivize energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel use in new buildings?
- How will you encourage weatherization of existing homes and apartment buildings to make them more comfortable and reduce energy use?
- What will you do to restore habitat connectivity and to conserve migration corridors?
- How will you work to protect our rivers, streams, and wetlands in the face of drought and climate change?
- Our state is currently involved in negotiations to develop new guidelines for managing the Colorado River. Several policy proposals are on the table, including the Cooperative Conservation Alternative which outlines strategies to save more water, respond to changing river conditions, protect ecosystems, and incorporate environmental stewardship into how the river is managed. Do you support including such strategies in the new guidelines?
- What steps will you take to support water conservation in our state?
- How will you incentivize water efficiency in new development?
Clean Energy
- Arizona is falling behind when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions reductions. What would you do to help Arizona get back on track to meeting the renewable energy goals that science shows we need?
- People living and working near dirty fuel plants in Arizona have faced some of the worst health impacts due to their proximity to pollution. As electric utilities move away from costly fossil fuels and to cheaper renewable energy, states and utilities have a responsibility to help impacted communities plan for their economic future. Do you support policies that invest in communities transitioning away from coal and other dirty fuels and help ensure a just and equitable future for people that have long been dependent on dirty energy production?
- Pollution from the fossil fuel industry and extreme heat from the resulting changing climate are hurting our communities and Arizona’s way of life – what will you do to ensure that we’re addressing these preventable deaths?
- The demand for new data centers in Arizona is growing with the proliferation of AI. Since data centers require significant energy and water resources, how do you think this challenge could be addressed at the state-level?
Water
- Arizona’s future is dependent on how we use our water resources. If elected, how will you continue to sustainably conserve and protect Arizona’s water future?
- What do you think are some of the ways that Arizona can balance growth in our state while also protecting our water resources?
- Arizona has already been required to reduce its use of water from the Colorado River and will likely be taking even deeper cuts off the Colorado River following the renegotiation of the Colorado River guidelines, as other states also contribute. How will you guide water users to ensure water security and stream protection for the state?
- As our state engages in re-negotiating new guidelines for managing the Colorado River, do you support a more holistic approach that better responds to climate change, and that seeks ways to provide water security for our communities as well as benefit the environment and recreation?
Public Lands
- Arizona does not have dedicated funding for outdoor equity across the state. Would you support actions to ensure that all Arizonans have access to the outdoors?
- How will you work to support and protect Arizona’s public lands?
Clean Energy
- What steps will you take to make sure we reach Colorado’s clean energy goals without losing important wildlife habitat?
- Colorado has just six years to meet our ambitious clean energy targets. How will you work to promote things like electric vehicles, energy efficiency tools like heat pumps, and renewable energy?
Water
- How will you work to ensure Colorado is more resilient against drought and the impacts of climate change?
- How will you use your position to reduce water use by municipalities and irrigators across the state?
Public Lands
- Colorado is one of the fastest developing states in the West. How will you work to ensure that the landscapes, recreation opportunities, and wildlife that define Colorado are protected from development?
- Do you support increased funding for outdoor equity grants? How do you think we can ensure that all Coloradans can access recreational opportunities here?
Clean Energy
- Last year, New Mexico took important steps in adopting clean cars and clean trucks regulations. How will you support the implementation of these rules in your position?
- How will you support a just transition to a clean energy future in New Mexico?
Water
- How do you think that New Mexico can make communities, farms, ranches, and the environment more resilient against drought?
- New Mexicans place great value in our rivers as natural places. The Strategic Water Reserve is the only existing tool that allows the state to acquire water for the benefit of species and it has never been consistently funded. What can be done to support this tool and what other actions should be taken to expand opportunities to keep water in-stream for the benefit of our rivers, wildlife and communities?
- Last year, the Supreme Court removed significant federal protections for New Mexico’s streams and wetlands. Do you support finding a way to reinstate those protections at the state level?
Public Lands
- What types of policy changes will you look to in order to modernize and improve New Mexico’s New Mexico Department of Game and Fish?
- How do you think that we can continue to support equitable outdoor access for all New Mexicans?
Clean Energy
- How do you plan on addressing rising energy costs across the state that are burdening families and everyday Nevadans?
- Las Vegas and Reno are among the fastest warming cities in the United States. Extreme heat and pollution are impacting our communities across the state. How do you plan to address these issues that are intensified by climate change?
Water
- How important do you think the Colorado River is to Nevada, and how will you work to protect it?
- How do you think that Nevada can make itself more resilient against drought?
Public Lands
- Would you support increased funding for Nevada’s outdoor education program so that more children in Nevada can experience and enjoy our public lands?
- What techniques, like wildlife corridors, would you support to ensure the protection of Nevada’s wildlife?
Clean Energy
- This past legislative session, we saw Utah legislators force the state to continue to depend on coal that will harm consumers’ wallets and health – where do you stand when it comes to moving Utah towards a clean energy economy?
- How will you work to reduce the pollution in Utah that is significantly harming our health?
Water
- How do you plan to use this position of power to protect one of our greatest assets and most important ecosystems – the Great Salt Lake?
- How do you think that Utah can make our communities, farms, ranches and streams more resilient against drought as a state?
- How can we reduce water use by cities, farms, and ranches across the state?
- Facing rapid population growth and impacts from climate change, how would you use your position to ensure new municipal and industrial development is as water efficient as possible?
Public Lands
- How will you protect one of Utah’s most important cultural and economic assets, our public lands, from further development?
- In this position, how would you expand equitable access to Utah’s public lands?
