What Were Voters Thinking About When They Went To The Polls?
Exit polls indicate that health care was a top issue for Californians, as well as most other voters around the country. And Democrats' ability to win back a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives is seen by many as a political reversal of fortunes for the Affordable Care Act.
The Associated Press:
VoteCast: California Voters Say Nation Headed Wrong Way
Health care was at the forefront of voters’ minds: A little more than a quarter of respondents named it as the most important issue facing the nation in this year’s midterm elections. Lawrence Reh, a retired writer who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Alameda, is among those voters who cited health care as a key issue. The 76-year-old said health care is “a human right,” and the government has a responsibility to provide it. (Veiga, 11/7)
The Associated Press:
AP Voter Poll Shows Focus On Trump, Immigration, Health Care
Health care, immigration and President Donald Trump were high on voters’ minds as they cast ballots in the midterm elections, according to a wide-ranging survey of the electorate conducted by The Associated Press. ... Health care was at the forefront of many voters’ minds: 26 percent named it as the most important issue facing the country. Immigration was not far behind, with 23 percent naming it as the most important issue. Nearly 4 in 10 of those who voted for a Democratic House candidate named health care as the most important issue facing the nation, while about as many Republican voters considered immigration to be the top issue. (Jalonick, 11/7)
Politico:
Redemption For Obamacare
Democrats ran on Obamacare and, finally, sailed to victory. The party that bet on surging enthusiasm for the Affordable Care Act flipped control of the House Tuesday night in what could amount to a major reset of the political direction on health care. Democrats also made gains at the state level, with wins in gubernatorial races that could prompt new expansions of Medicaid and energize lawmakers, who can claim they have a mandate to further build on a law that serves as the bedrock of their domestic agenda. (Ollstein and Cancryn, 11/6)