The Colorado River as it flows around Horseshoe Bend on June 23, 2021 in Page. The Bureau of Reclamation says it will unilaterally reduce water usage in the Colorado River Basin if state and tribal leaders can’t reach an agreement this summer. /Photo by Justin Sullivan /Getty Images
Big Question for Candidates: “What should Arizona do to protect our water future and secure our long- term water supplies?”
PHOENIX, June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Very few things in politics achieve unanimous support, but in Arizona, the issues of addressing Arizona’s water future and tackling drought come very close. Today, Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) released their survey findings regarding water as part of the Arizona Voters’ Agenda, which identifies what likely voters in the general election want candidates to address as they campaign for their votes.
The survey revealed that more than 90% of all likely voters came to broad consensus on the need to address Arizona’s water future – an issue that very few candidates are talking about. The survey found that voters support efforts to preserve and protect Arizona’s rivers, natural areas, and wildlife. They also firmly want to secure Arizona’s water future and address the state’s long-term drought.
“Arizona’s water challenges have been front page news for months,” said Dr. Sybil Francis, President & CEO of CFA. “Despite its obvious importance to voters, we haven’t heard much from the candidates about their ideas for how to secure Arizona’s water future. Our survey indicates that voters overwhelmingly care about water—candidates would be wise to start paying attention.”
According to the Arizona Voters’ Agenda, a whopping 96% of likely voters support “Preserving and protecting Arizona’s rivers, natural areas, and wildlife,” including 93% Republican support, 95% independents/unaffiliated support, and 99% Democratic support. The notion of “Securing Arizona’s water future and addressing our long-term drought” was a close second with 95% support, including 94% Republican support, 93% independents/unaffiliated support, and 98% Democratic support.
“Unlike some of the topics that seem to dominate our political dialogue, these are not fringe issues or concerns that only appeal to a certain segment of the electorate,” explained Dr. Francis, “Virtually all voters are concerned about Arizona’s water future. It’s certainly a complex topic, but these data show that candidates can win voters by talking about their plans for water.”
Voters’ concern for water is real and they want to hear what candidates plan to do about it.
