Washington, D.C. — Energy affordability was the defining issue in this year’s Virginia and New Jersey governors’ races, according to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress Action Fund. The analysis finds that voters backed candidates who offered clear plans to cut utility bills, modernize the grid, and hold data centers and utilities accountable.
Electricity prices are up nearly 13 percent in Virginia and nearly 21 percent in New Jersey. At the same time, $2.6 billion in clean energy investment and nearly 8,000 jobs are at risk in New Jersey under the Trump administration’s anti-clean-energy policies.
“Voters chose leaders who see clean energy as the path to long-term affordability and reliability,” said Frederick Bell, associate director for State Climate Policy at CAP Action and co-author of the analysis. “These elections show that voters are backing policies that keep energy affordable and put workers first.”
In Virginia, Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger framed energy affordability as part of a broader plan to make the state’s economy work for families again. In New Jersey, Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill placed affordability at the center of her campaign and tied rising utility costs to the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill.
Read the analysis: “The Winning Formula: Voters Choose Candidates Who Show Energy Can Be Both Affordable and Renewable” by Frederick Bell and Lucero Marquez
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].