Using a Moneyball approach to elect state & local climate champions
May 22, 2024
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Caroline Spears, Executive Director of Climate Cabinet, discusses using data science to target state and local races for climate advocacy. Topics include Moneyball strategies, empowering clean energy advocates, legal structures, navigating partisanship, engaging marginalized voters, analyzing election performance, and the impact of volunteer engagement in climate politics.
State and local elections play a crucial role in shaping climate policy and require more attention from the climate community.
Data-driven strategies like 'moneyball for climate' help identify under-the-radar races for impactful climate progress.
Engaging Democratic voters in down-ballot races is challenging but essential to secure victories for climate-conscious candidates.
Deep dives
Importance of State and Local Climate Champions
Focusing on state and local elections is crucial for climate progress as it holds significant power in shaping climate policy. The attention and support from the climate community in these races are often lacking despite their pivotal role in environmental action. Climate Cabinet's 'moneyball for climate' approach identifies under-the-radar races where small efforts can lead to substantial climate advancements.
Data-Driven Approach to Candidate Selection
Climate Cabinet utilizes data science to assess winnable candidates and climate impact within state and local offices. By evaluating greenhouse gas policies under their authority, strategic candidates are identified for support. Races like the Arizona Corporation Commission highlight the importance of targeted interventions to influence climate policy outcomes.
Nuances in Voter Engagement
Engaging Democratic voters to support down-ballot races like the Arizona Corporation Commission is a challenge due to high down-ballot drop-off rates. Addressing voter education and salience in such races becomes essential to ensure climate-conscious candidates secure victory. Leveraging targeted campaigning strategies tailored to specific voter segments can enhance climate action.
Accountability and Engagement with Candidates
Ensuring accountability post-election, Climate Cabinet engages with supported candidates to uphold climate commitments when in office. While retaining some flexibility, candidates are encouraged to prioritize climate issues in their public communications, aligning with the organization's climate-centric focus.
Challenges and Opportunities in Bipartisan Support
Navigating partisan dynamics, Climate Cabinet strategically endorses candidates based on their climate stance rather than strict party lines. While predominantly endorsing Democrats due to better climate scores, the organization supports a handful of Republicans showing promise in climate action. By assessing legislatives' voting records, a focus on bipartisan climate advocates drives impactful outcomes.
Which political races should climate advocates focus on to get the most bang for their buck? (Hint: not the presidency.) In this episode, executive director Caroline Spears of Climate Cabinet explains how her organization uses data science to identify state and local races with high potential to impact climate progress.
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