Atlanta, GA: New research published today shows that President Biden’s actions on student debt relief energized key groups of voters for Senator Warnock in Georgia’s 2022 runoff. This research adds to the growing body of evidence that student debt relief is a winning issue for Democrats–even in purple states like Georgia–ahead of the key Supreme Court hearings on student debt relief later this month.. The research, conducted by Rise and Change Research, surveyed over 1,000 Georgia runoff voters in January of 2023. The key findings include:
- 59% of all runoff voters and 71% of Warnock voters said that they or a family member directly benefited from President Biden’s student debt relief program. Student debt relief was a top-ranked issue for young voters, Black voters and Democrats while mattering very little to Republican voters.
- 62% of young Warnock voters and 60% of Black Warnock voters cited student debt relief as influencing their likelihood to vote in the runoff elections. Among voters who said student debt relief influenced their decision to vote, 93% of Black voters and 71% of young voters said it increased their likelihood of voting for Senator Warnock.
- 90% of Warnock voters, 85% of Black voters, and 62% of young voters approved of student debt relief. Among Warnock voters, 68% strongly approved of it indicating the high levels of enthusiasm for the program.
- A plurality of all Georgia runoff voters and 70% of Democrats would like to see President Biden’s administration take further actions to relieve the costs of student loans.
- Democrats and Independents who voted in the Georgia runoffs are much more likely to prefer candidates who want to expand free college (84%), expand Public Service Loan Forgiveness (80%), eliminate $10,000 of student debt for all borrowers (73%), and eliminate $50,000 of student debt for all borrowers (70%).
To read more of the research findings, click here. To learn more about Rise, visit Risefree.org or follow us on social media at @RiseFreeOrg.
