The midterms are over, and healthcare was on the ballot. Democrats now control the House and the Senate, flipped four governorships, and won new trifectas in states like Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Hosts Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson break down what it all means for the fight for universal healthcare.
We start with the incoming Senate class, including Annie Andrews, Roy Cooper, Sherrod Brown, and James Talarico, and what each said about healthcare on the campaign trail. Then we dig into the exit polls, where voters trusted Democrats over Republicans on healthcare 50% to 30%, and 60% said they want the federal government to play a bigger role in getting Americans care.
From there, we look at how Roger Marshall’s history of suing patients helped end his Senate career in Kansas, and at Michigan’s big night, which included Abdul El-Sayed’s win on a Medicare for All platform and Jocelyn Benson’s victory. We also cover the state-level opportunities ahead: David Crowley’s push for a government-run public option in Wisconsin, the possibility of Medicaid expansion in Georgia and Texas, and what new trifectas can do on drug prices and hospital consolidation. Along the way, we explain how the Republican mid-decade gerrymander in Texas backfired.
Finally, we look ahead to oversight of RFK Jr., taking on big insurers, pharma, and hospital consolidation, and laying the groundwork for 2029. Miles and Rob also make the case that the hospital industry’s coziness with Democratic leadership has to end if real reform is going to happen.
LINKS
The New York Times: Elon Musk Tests What Nearly Half a Billion Dollars Can Buy in the Midterms
NBC News: Democrats gain full control of five state governments, further expanding the party’s power
STAT: Five midterm winners and losers: MAHA mowed down, Dem docs scrub in, ‘Medicare for All’ returns
The Washington Post: Hinojosa defeats Abbott to become Texas’s first Democratic governor in 35 years
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Keisha Lance Bottoms and the long road from Crawfordville to Governor’s Mansion
The Guardian: Ten historic firsts: the winning US midterm candidates making waves
AP: Drawing American votes – How redistricting shaped the 2026 midterm elections
NPR: Republicans tried to gerrymander their way out of big congressional losses. It didn’t work
The Texas Tribune: Texas Republicans’ gerrymander backfires as Democrats gain ground in U.S. House delegation
The Washington Sun: Trump Backs Hegseth as an Impeachment ‘Reckoning’ Looms
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