From start to finish, the top issue for the American people in 2019 was health care. The year started with a new Democratic House majority built on public opposition to Republican health care repeal and ended on the GOP lawsuit to try yet again overturn the Affordable Care Act.
The Democratic House majority passed landmark reforms to protect pre-existing conditions and to reduce the price of prescription drugs and voters backed pro-health care candidates to flip the Virginia legislature, re-elect the Louisiana’s Democratic governor and oust Kentucky’s Republican governor.
At the end of 2018, the midterm elections showed…
- 2018 national exit polls confirmed health care was the top issue for voters, with 41 percent listing it as the top issue facing the country. [CNN, November 2018]
As the new Congress began, Americans priorities were clear…
- Health care almost tied with economy with 69% ranking reducing health care costs as the top priority for Congress and Trump. [Pew Research Center, January 2019]
Through summer 2019….
- APRIL: 55% of Americans worry “a great deal” about the availability and affordability of health care, topping Gallup’s list of Americans’ worries for the fifth straight year. [Gallup, 4/1/19]
- MAY: 45% of Democrats, 30% of Republicans and 31% of independents ranked health care as their top concern in a May RealClear Opinion Research Poll. [Axios, 5/21/19]
- JUNE: Americans cited health care as the top issue for the federal government to address, ahead of the economy, immigration, national security and other issues, according to a June 2019 Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. [Wall Street Journal, 6/2/19]
- SEPTEMBER: Health care topped the list of most important issues among registered voters ahead of 2020, with 51% ranking as “extremely important” in a September 2019 CNN poll. [CNN, 9/11/19]
In the 2019 elections, health care dominated and pro-health care candidates won…
- Vox: “Health Care Is On The Ballot In State Elections Starting Next Week” [Vox, 10/29/19]
- POLITICO: “Democrats Bet Big On Obamacare To Win Virginia Statehouse” [Politico, 9/4/19]
- Axios: “Matt Bevin’s Loss In Kentucky Is A Health Care Setback For Trump” [Axios, 11/6/19]
- Forbes: “In Blow To Trump’s Medicaid Policies, Democrat Wins In Louisiana” [Forbes, 11/16/19]
One year out from 2020, health care still tops the list…
- November 2019 Fox News Poll Found Health Care Tops The List Of Issues That Will Be “Extremely Important” To Their 2020 Presidential Vote. “Slim majorities of voters say health care (53 percent) and the economy (52 percent) will be extremely important to their vote for president in November 2020.” [Fox News, 11/4/19]
- November 2019 Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking Poll Found Health Care Remains Top Issue For Democrats. [Kaiser Family Foundation, 11/20/19]
- November 2019 YouGov Poll Found That Health Care Is The Number #1 Issue For Voters. [The Economist/YouGov, November 2019]
- December 2019 Quinnipiac Poll Found That 85 Percent Of Voters Said That Health Care Is “Very Important” To Their Vote For President. [Quinnipiac, 12/10/19]