Parties Split Between Economy and COVID-19

With less than 50 days until the U.S. presidential election, Americans’ priorities on key issues continue to change throughout the year. A new health poll shows just how divided Democrats and Republicans are on some of the largest issues facing the country.

According to a recent health tracking poll from KFF, a majority of Republicans view the economy as the most important issue when voting for president in November. That’s compared to 14 percent of Democrats who say the same, while 36 percent of voters in the blue party view COVID-19 as their top consideration when voting. Surprisingly, just 4 percent of Republicans view the coronavirus as their top priority.

The new poll also highlights the growing discrepancies in racial issues between the two parties. For Republicans, criminal justice comes in at a close second for top priorities when voting for president, compared to 27 percent of Democrats who say a focus on race relations is their top consideration.

For both parties, a focus on health care reform and immigration have fallen in 2020. The same poll had health care as the top priority for Democratic voters at the beginning of the year, while immigration and health care were the top considerations for Republicans. The coronavirus has been a major driver in policy changes for both presidential party platforms, with Biden and Trump focusing on the health and economic aspects of recovery if they’re elected.