Voters Reject Trump-Republican Agenda
March 14, 2018
Last night, by electing Conor Lamb, Pennsylvania voters delivered a stunning rebuke to the Trump-Republican agenda to take health care away from millions of Americans and give huge tax giveaways to those at the top, at the expense of workers and their families.
Health care was a top issue in last night’s election and Conor Lamb won those voters by a wide margin, making it clear voters reject Republican policies that have already left millions more Americans without health insurance and sent premiums skyrocketing.
Public Policy Polling: “Health care was a top issue to voters. Health care was ranked as a top issue for 52% of voters (15% saying it was the most important issue and another 37% saying it was very important). Only 19% said it was not that important or not important at all.”
Public Policy Polling: “Conor Lamb won big especially among voters for whom health care was a top priority. Among voters who said health care was the most important issue for them, Lamb beat Rick Saccone 64-36 and among the broader group of voters who said it was either the most important or a very important issue Lamb beat Saccone 62-38.”
Republicans said the Trump tax would help them win elections, but last night voters rejected their bill that gives massive giveaways to corporations and their wealthy shareholders, at the expense of American workers.
Los Angeles Times: “The most dangerous outcome for Republicans in Tuesday's special House election is not the prospect of a Democrat taking over one of their seats. It was the shrugging off by voters of the party's biggest legislative achievement: the tax cut measure that Republicans hoped would be their major campaign message as they head toward a turbulent midterm election.”
Business Insider: “The election was big for a couple of major Trump policies. It was the first big election since Republicans passed their major tax overhaul. Democrats took the election results as a victory in their battle against the legislation.”
New York Times: “The tally was also a blunt rejection of the president’s political calculation that tax cuts and steel tariffs would persuade voters in a region once dominated by the steel industry to embrace the Trump agenda on behalf of Mr. Saccone. ‘Steel is back,’ he repeatedly said at the rally, apparently to little effect.”
Politico: “Republicans backed away from their signature tax-cut law in the final days of a closely watched special House election in the Pittsburgh suburbs — even though it's the very accomplishment on which they had banked their midterm election hopes.”
Vox: “Republicans said their tax cuts would help them win elections. But what if they can’t even keep a Republican seat in a Trump-loving district? Tuesday’s special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th District is being hailed as a test of the GOP’s messaging — and by all measures, it’s not going well.”
TIME: “Besides bruising the president, a Lamb defeat also could shake Republican self-assurance that their new tax law can shield them from other political woes.”