Health care takes center stage in this year’s elections, a sign of midterm strategies to come Democrats are tying health care to affordability issues, while Republicans try to leverage Trump’s recent announcements

https://www.statnews.com/2025/10/31/governors-races-health-care-politics-midterm-testing-grounds/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_icAdD2K-gk0-xh9nTz7UQGxeME9JULWy-x15a_CPAIVx8Ry2AVksy1mMrMgzSsHFHdPfq5NL8Qw1Cp3m4ZeI1xNy9AA&_hsmi=387732612&utm_content=387732612&utm_source=hs_email Health care takes center stage for midterm elections The results of next week’s governors’ races could have major implications on the parties’ midterm approaches to federal health policy. In Virginia and New Jersey’s gubernatorial races, new lines of attack are opening up, with both Democrats and Republicans refining their central message to highlight their perceived strengths. Democrats want to link health issues with economic ones, seizing on voter frustrations around rising costs and cuts to health programs. Republicans, meanwhile, are touting Trump’s deals to lower drug prices. If you’re a regular Morning Rounds reader, you don’t need me to tell you that American health care is undergoing a transformational shift, especially after the passage of Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill, which is set to slash Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade. Elections are a great way to track how Americans are feeling about it all. Read more from STAT’s Daniel Payne.