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The Democratic hunt for a 2020 down-ballot message
AxiosAcross all congressional races in the 2018 midterms, health care was overwhelmingly the top issue that Democrats referenced in their digital and TV advertising, according to data from Advertising Analytics, a firm that specializes in media ad spending and real time political ad detection.
Why it matters: In addition to knocking off an incumbent in the White House, Democrats are facing an uphill battle to win the Senate and a very real possibility of losing their House majority. While several themes are emerging for what could be key themes of the party's 2020 platform, candidates have yet to rally around a single down-ballot issue that could turn voters out in droves like health care did in 2020.
By the numbers: In 2018, health care was by far the biggest issue of the 2018 election ads, comprising 16% of all political ads.
- For Democrats, nearly half (48%) of all ads for House races and half of all ads for Senate races (47%) were about health care. Candidates largely used ads to attack the GOP's efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
- Republicans, on the other hand, had no unifying message, campaign on an array of issues — from healthcare to taxes to President Trump himself — down the ballot.
Why it matters: In addition to knocking off an incumbent in the White House, Democrats are facing an uphill battle to win the Senate and a very real possibility of losing their House majority. While several themes are emerging for what could be key themes of the party's 2020 platform, candidates have yet to rally around a single down-ballot issue that could turn voters out in droves like health care did in 2020.
By the numbers: In 2018, health care was by far the biggest issue of the 2018 election ads, comprising 16% of all political ads.
- For Democrats, nearly half (48%) of all ads for House races and half of all ads for Senate races (47%) were about health care. Candidates largely used ads to attack the GOP's efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
- Republicans, on the other hand, had no unifying message, campaign on an array of issues — from healthcare to taxes to President Trump himself — down the ballot.
