In the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was also a long-shot candidate, but his aggressive climate policy set a high bar that other candidates quickly sought to emulate. It’s highly unlikely that Suarez will play a similar role, but injecting the Republican primary with any degree of climate focus can demonstrate that there is a sizable voting block of moderates who care about the issue, said Christopher Barnard, vice president of external affairs at American Conservation Coalition Action.
“If you ever want to win a general election, you need to get young voters, you need to get independents, you need to get suburban moms,” he said. “All those demographics that are crucial to getting any kind of majority really care about climate and environmental issues so I hope he can at least bring that message and show how important it is for candidates to talk about this.”
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