Poll: Richmond-area district represented by Rep. Spanberger rates climate provisions of infrastructure plan highly

Proposal builds bridges across party lines in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District

Environment Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. – A new poll released Thursday revealed support for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal across the political spectrum in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District. The district, represented by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, includes large portions of Chesterfield and Henrico counties in the suburbs of Richmond. This survey, providing district-specific data on how voters view the American Jobs Plan (AJP), is sponsored by Environment Virginia, Earthjustice and Environment America.

The poll found that overall, voters support the bill by a 59 percent to 31 percent margin. Sixty-two percent of the all-important Independent voters polled approve of the plan. Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed said Congress should pass the bill if a bipartisan majority of the U.S. public supports it, even if Congress does not reflect that bipartisanship. 

On multiple measures, voters in the district clearly signal that components of the AJP that focus specifically on climate change and clean energy are a significant selling point. When told that the plan includes a major emphasis on investments to expand the use of clean energy, such as wind and solar power, to tackle the climate crisis and create jobs, 61 percent of voters in the 7th District firmly say that this approach makes them more likely to support the AJP.

Among the specific provisions designed to address the climate crisis:

• 82 percent of voters in the 7th District support investments to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize public transportation to ensure it is cleaner and able to serve more people.

• 82 percent of voters are in favor of providing support to Virginia farmers to make land and water resources stronger against the impacts of climate change.

• 78 percent support investments to upgrade drinking water infrastructure so all Americans have access to safe, clean water by replacing every lead water pipe in the country.

• 69 percent support investing in clean energy such as wind and solar power, by extending tax credits to spur clean energy innovation and manufacturing. 

“Virginia has been hit hard by the climate crisis and the societal devastation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Environment Virginia State Director Elly Boehmer. “The American Jobs Plan is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in what matters and tackle the climate crisis, and this data demonstrates that Virginians support President Biden’s plan to build back better.”

The survey was conducted via live telephone conversations between May 12 and May 17 by Hart Research Associates for Environment America and Earthjustice, in cooperation with the League of Conservation Voters. A memorandum outlining the full results of the survey is on Environment Virginia’s website.