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- Caroline Mercer via Environment | The Guardian
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Climate-Focused Candidates Push Disaster Insurance and Data Center Rules in Midterms
ReClimate-Focused Candidates Push Disaster Insurance and Data Center Rules in Midterms
A new wave of Democratic candidates is running on practical green policies — from disaster insurance reform to data center regulations and right-to-repair laws — even as national climate rhetoric fades.
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, a group of Democratic candidates is putting climate policy at the center of their campaigns — but not in the way national party leaders have in recent years. Instead of broad appeals to save the planet, these candidates are focusing on kitchen-table issues with a climate connection: disaster insurance, data center regulation, and the right to repair.
The shift comes after a period of "climate-hushing," in which mentions of the climate crisis largely disappeared from Democratic rhetoric following Donald Trump's 2024 election victory. The trend had already begun in some states. In May 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that erased the words "climate change" from state statutes, a move that outraged Democrats. Yet within six months, many liberal politicians had gone quiet on the issue themselves.
According to Daniel Aldana Cohen, an assistant sociology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies climate politics and inequality, the retreat reflects the limitations of Joe Biden's climate policies. Green jobs and housing investments fell short of what the climate movement had hoped for, consumer incentives disproportionately benefited wealthier households, and Democrats struggled to communicate their accomplishments effectively. Since then, Trump has rolled back many Biden-era clean energy incentives and regulations.
Despite the national silence, some candidates are finding that climate-related concerns are animating voters in unexpected ways. The everyday struggles people face — from rising insurance costs in disaster-prone areas to the environmental impact of sprawling data centers — have a climate link lurking in the background. These candidates are betting that voters care more about practical solutions than about ideological labels.
Disaster insurance has emerged as a particularly potent issue. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, homeowners in vulnerable states are seeing premiums skyrocket or insurers withdraw entirely. Candidates are proposing reforms to stabilize markets and protect homeowners, framing the issue as one of economic security rather than environmental activism.
Data centers, the backbone of the artificial intelligence boom, are another focus. Their massive energy and water consumption has raised concerns in communities across the country. Some candidates are calling for stricter regulations, including transparency requirements and limits on resource use, to ensure that the rapid expansion of these facilities does not come at the expense of local residents and the environment.
The right to repair — the push to give consumers and independent repair shops access to parts, tools, and information needed to fix electronics — is also gaining traction. Advocates argue that it reduces electronic waste and saves consumers money, while manufacturers often oppose such laws. For candidates, it is a way to talk about sustainability in terms of pocketbook savings and consumer choice.
These campaigns represent a strategic pivot. Rather than debating the science of climate change or the merits of sweeping federal legislation, candidates are meeting voters where they are — on issues that affect their daily lives. The approach may help Democrats avoid the polarization that has stymied national climate action while still advancing policies that reduce emissions and build resilience.
Whether this strategy will succeed at the ballot box remains to be seen. But for now, it offers a glimpse of how some politicians are trying to keep climate on the agenda without triggering the backlash that has made the topic politically toxic in many parts of the country. The midterms will test whether voters reward candidates who connect the dots between climate and the cost of living, or whether the national trend of climate-hushing continues to shape the debate.
