E&E News featured Echo Communications Advisors’ new report identifying the 10 states where energy affordability messaging will resonate the most in key elections that will determine which party controls power in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and in governors’ mansions across the country.
Report: Energy costs could tip the scales in midterms
New analysis suggests cost-of-living issues, including energy bills, could influence midterm races across key 2026 battlegrounds.
By Timothy Cama January 16, 2026
Energy affordability could help tip the scales in elections across 10 states this fall — including battlegrounds with both statewide and federal contests on the ballot — according to a forecast released Friday by a clean energy-focused communications firm.
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Echo Communications Advisors said the issue is likely to be most critical in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Ohio and Texas, all of which have both gubernatorial and Senate seats up for grabs. In addition, the list includes Arizona, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
The firm based its forecast on factors like which states have seen the highest electricity price increases, where the political stakes are the highest and where data centers — a hot button issue being blames for rate hikes in many areas — are being built.
“If you’re sick of hearing about energy affordability now, then dig in for a long 2026, especially if you live in one of those states,” said Chris Moyer, the firm’s president, who has worked for Democratic candidates and causes. Within each state, the report focuses on specific contests like North Carolina’s closely watched U.S. Senate race and Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial election.
Read the entire story here.
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