New Eight-State Survey Cautions Senate Aspirants
Washington, D.C. – A survey of likely voters in eight coal-reliant states suggests the Obama administration’s climate rule for power plants is not only bad economics, it’s also bad politics for senatorial candidates that support it.
The results, released today by Magellan Strategies, show voters in Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana and North Carolina – states that are significant coal users and/or producers – are much more likely to oppose than support candidates who back the power plant rule. Altogether, more than three times as many respondents oppose (59.1 percent) as support (17.9 percent) the proposed rule when informed that EPA acknowledges it will cause a “short term hit” to consumers.
On average, 55.2 percent said they are more likely to oppose a candidate who supports the new power plant proposal, 31.4 percent are more likely to support a candidate who supports the regulation, and 13.4 percent are unsure or have no opinion.
“The implication for U.S. Senate candidates in coal states is stark: putting yourself in favor of a rule that puts low-cost electricity and jobs at risk will put your race at risk,” said Rich Nolan, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Mining Association which commissioned the poll. “Voters in these states remain overwhelmingly concerned about jobs and the economy,” Nolan said, “They will bear the consequences from this regulation and so will candidates in close races who support it.”
On average, the survey found 76 percent of voters believe it is more important for President Obama to focus on jobs and the economy than a new regulation on power plants to combat climate change.
The poll, released today, consists of voice-recorded surveys among likely 2014 general election voters in the eight states during June 4 through June 8, with a margin of error ranging from +/- 3.45 percent to 3.65 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
For further information on the survey, see www.MagellanStrategies.com and click on the blog section of their website. The EPA Regulation blog post contains the survey data for each state.