"Long story short: Billionaire-backed centrist groups told them not to. But with the midterms days away, is that really a good idea?"
"The midterm elections are less than a week away, and there’s a lot riding on the results, including how much more damage Donald Trump can do to the climate.
But for how important this election will be for Planet Earth and the humans who live on it, the issue itself isn’t getting much airtime. Earlier this month, The Guardian examined the campaign websites of Democratic and Republican Senate candidates in eight battleground states. Of all the candidates surveyed, only two explicitly mentioned climate change.
This retreat hasn’t happened by accident. Over the last two years, some of the Democratic Party’s most influential strategists, donors, and think tanks have been explicitly telling candidates to shut up about climate change and focus on the economy instead—as if those were two separate issues.
It’s a strategy known as climate hushing. And with the midterms fast-approaching, it’s worth asking: Who convinced Democrats that ignoring climate change was a winning strategy? Does the evidence actually support that argument? And what is that silence costing the rest of us?"
Emily Atkin reports for HEATED October 29, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"For US Democrats, Climate Policy Is Now About Energy Bills" (DW)
"Climate Change Is A Vote Winner, Researchers Find" (Yale Climate Connections)
"Climate Hushing, China And The 2026 Midterms" (UCLA release)
