The Climate Cabinet: A Q&A With Political Campaigner Caroline Spears
Local policymakers are fighting for the climate and winning
You can think of Climate Cabinet as“Moneyball” for climate politics. They find and support under-the-radar climate champions from states around the country by using cutting-edge data science and asymmetric tactics. This strategy empowers them to turn climate opportunities into transformative action.
Over the last five years, Climate Cabinet has supported more than 800 pro-climate candidate campaigns across the country. In 2024, they secured 87 key electoral wins nationwide, proving the power of state and local action despite federal challenges.
To better understand what’s happening with climate ballots around the nation, we spoke with the Executive Director of Climate Cabinet, Caroline Spears.
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Shannon: Climate Cabinet works intensely with local races, focusing on areas where you can really win. Where are some of these key races taking place in 2025? Are these the races you’re most excited about? What potential impact do you see them having if all goes well?
Caroline: I love this question because, contrary to popular belief, there are no off years in politics. In 2025, Climate Cabinet will support 50 top candidates in climate-critical elections across the country. One major area of focus for us this year is Virginia, a state that has long been a leader in the South when it comes to clean energy policies. We want to make sure to defend the pro-climate majority in the legislature – and potentially even grow it. If a wave of pro-climate champions win this year, we could turbocharge the clean energy economy.
We’re also closely monitoring the Supreme Court race in Wisconsin. Right now, Wisconsin is on a clear path to beating back years of gerrymandering and empowering pro-climate leaders. We could see a pro-climate majority in at least one legislative chamber as soon as 2026. But the opportunity for that will likely collapse if the Supreme Court flips. So there’s a lot riding on this one race.
These are just a couple of examples. There are dozens of local races we’re monitoring all across the country – from the mayor’s race in Columbia, MO to a utilities commission race in Illinois – really important elections will be happening in the months ahead.
How can these lesser-known elections have an outsized impact on U.S. climate policy?
The fact of the matter is that 75 percent of the country’s Paris climate commitments can be met at the state and local level. These local lawmakers will be the ones to determine the fate of America’s clean energy economy in the years to come.
Utility commissions decide whether a new power plant should be renewable or burn coal. State legislatures decide whether to build public transportation and embrace a commitment to 100 percent clean electricity. County commissions decide whether to allow solar farms to have permits. These offices have real power.
That’s why electing pro-climate champions is so important. Polluting industries are often actively lobbying in state legislatures, so it’s vital to elect leaders who won’t be afraid to stand up for their constituents by enacting pro-climate policies that will lower costs and save lives.
What can federal policymakers learn from state and local campaigns and the pro-climate candidates who win them?
I think local lawmakers and campaigns really understand that details matter. Finding ways to expand grid energy storage isn’t a topic that has polarized politically on the news, but getting it right can really impact the future of a state and the families who live there. I also think that a lot of state leaders have displayed a lot of courage, which is something we could all learn from. It’s not easy to stand up to polluting interests – but climate champions are doing it every day in state capitals and local governments across the country.
In all your research and work on the ground, what do you find keeps resonating with voters? Clean air and water? Saving money? Something else?
Voters care about what impacts their lives. As they should! And what we see over and over again is that even when voters don’t use the words “climate change,” they care deeply about the ways that climate change is already impacting their lives.
Families are rightly feeling anxious about the rising costs of paying utility bills, insurance payments, and going to the grocery store. The good news is that the clean energy economy will lower people’s costs. I think this messaging is effective both because it is true and because it cuts to the core of fears that are being felt across the country right now.
The other thing I would note is that there is some variation depending on where in the country you are talking about. The tragic reality is that as climate disasters increase in frequency and severity, more and more voters are experiencing first hand the devastating impact of climate change. After Hurricane Helene, we saw an uptick of voters in areas that were hit identifying climate change as an important issue. And it had results on election night: while many parts of the country moved rightward, Western North Carolina actually moved in the opposite direction. A pro-climate lawmaker who was gerrymandered in an R+4 district actually won last November - along with 87 other Climate Cabinet champions across America.
A lot of folks are worried about losing momentum if the IRA is repealed as well as important other climate legislation—what do you do to stay hopeful during this Uncertainty?
Yes, the fear and uncertainty is real — and I think many of us are grappling with it right now.
At the same time, we are actually in a much stronger position at the state and local level than we were during the Trump administration. We are set up to make even more progress going into the 2025 and 2026 elections, especially with the growing backlash to the extreme anti-climate (and possibly illegal) policies that the White House is attempting to enact.
Here’s what I’m committed to every day over the next four years: I will wake up and focus on the places across the nation where we have the biggest positive impact on climate and peoples’ lives.
I know the federal news is dark and chaotic. But here’s the reality: beneath the chaos we have bright spots across this country, and we have leaders who care. It’s our job to help them turn every opportunity into a victory – for people, clean energy jobs, and climate action.
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