New Poll: More Than 9 in 10 Democratic Primary Voters Want Polluters to Pay for Climate Damage, Will Reward Legislators Who Pass It

Two-thirds of primary voters don’t think state-level Democrats are doing enough to fight Trump, half are open to supporting someone new in upcoming state primaries

NEW JERSEY — Democratic primary voters across New Jersey overwhelmingly want big fossil fuel companies to pay to cover a share of the cost of flooding, extreme heat, and severe storms, and they’re more likely to vote for candidates who will stand up to Big Oil and make polluters pay.

According to a new statewide poll of Democratic primary voters, 92% support the Polluters Pay to Make New Jersey More Affordable Act (S2338/A3735), and they’re more likely to back state legislators who vote for it by an 11-to-1 margin (69% to 6%). The survey was commissioned by Food & Water Watch and conducted October 9-18, 2026 by TargetSmart Research Solutions.

“The status quo isn’t acceptable to voters. Families and small businesses should not be paying all the costs of flooding and severe storms while Big Oil is let off the hook,” said Matt Smith, New Jersey Director of Food & Water Watch. “It’s clear that Democrats want their elected officials to do more to fight back against special interests like Big Oil to make life more affordable. It’s time to make polluters pay.”

Two-thirds of voters (66%) say Democrats in the Legislature are not doing enough to stand up to Donald Trump, according to the poll. With every state Senate and Assembly seat on the ballot in June, voters are split evenly 47% to 45% on whether their own state lawmakers deserve to be re-elected or new Democrats should get a chance. For voters under 35, 64% want new representatives.

Asked who should bear the costs of flooding, extreme heat, and severe storms, 96% want major fossil fuel companies to pay at least as much as taxpayers do, including 59% who said fossil fuel companies should pay more than taxpayers. Currently, the costs of climate damages are borne solely by the state’s taxpayers and utility ratepayers.

These numbers reflect what I hear from residents throughout my district,” said Senator Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex), co-sponsor of the Polluters Pay Act. “Our communities continue to face the growing costs of flooding and storm damage, and residents deserve solutions that help ease that financial burden. This legislation is about ensuring that those responsible for contributing to environmental damage share in the costs of addressing it, rather than placing that burden solely on taxpayers and ratepayers.”

Support for the Polluters Pay Act holds across region, race, age, and ideology, including 91% of Democratic primary voters in both North and South Jersey, and 89% of self-described “Moderate” Democratic voters.

The bill would require the world’s largest oil and gas extractors to pay $50 billion over 20 years to repair and upgrade roads, bridges, public transportation, drinking water systems, energy resiliency, storm recovery, public health services and other climate adaptation costs  in New Jersey.

TargetSmart surveyed 801 likely 2027 New Jersey Democratic primary voters (600 weighted) by phone and online. The sample included oversamples of Central and South Jersey voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.