Latino Voters Support Holding Oil and Gas Companies Accountable for High Prices and Taking Action on Climate Change

By Danielle Deiseroth

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, global energy prices have skyrocketed. Now, from coast to coast, Americans are feeling pain at the pump as gas prices soar to record highs while executives collect record profits. Meanwhile, the growing impacts of climate change such as heatwaves, wildfires, and extreme rainfall have become the new normal for millions of Americans. The dueling crises of high gas prices and the climate crisis acutely impact Latinos, many of whom are on the front lines of pollution and climate change.

In a June 2022 survey, Data for Progress asked Latino voters nationwide about their attitudes toward climate change, high gas prices, and the role of oil and gas companies in causing those high prices. We find that Latino voters blame oil and gas companies — not President Biden — for causing high gas prices and support policies to curb their excess profits. Moreover, we find that Latino voters are overwhelmingly concerned about climate change and support actions to expand clean energy production in America.

To Latino voters, it is clear that oil and gas companies are playing a key role in driving up energy prices while they continue carrying on with their polluting business as usual. As such, they support holding these companies accountable through a tax on excess profits.

Furthermore, Latino voters support an investment in clean energy and see it as both a job creator and a way to combat climate change. This new poll builds upon previous surveys that have found Latino voters are widely concerned about the impacts of climate change and air pollution on their communities. As lawmakers consider ways to address both high prices and climate change, it is clear that Latino voters strongly back investments in clean energy.