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Analysis of Key Races

POSTED BY Galen Institute on November 6, 2002.

 

Oregon Single Payer

Oregon voters saw the light and rejected Measure 23 by an overwhelming vote of 79% to 21% (with 76% of the vote in). The measure would have funneled all the public and private money spent on health care in the state into a “single-payer” account run by government. A study by LECG consulting, released just before the election showed that every Oregon resident would have paid an additional $4,000 to $5,900 in taxes if the new system were implemented.

Prescription Drugs



  • The prescription drug benefit for Medicare which the House passed in 2002 gave Republicans an edge on an issue that traditionally favors Democrats.



    • House Incumbents John Shimkus (R-IL) and Nancy Johnson (R-CT) actively campaigned on their support of the House Medicare prescription drug bill.

      • Shimkus defeated David Phelps 55-45
      • Johnson defeated Jim Malony 54-43


    • Senate challengers John Thune (R-SD), John Sununu (R-NH), and Jim Talent (R-MO) also used their support of the House Medicare bill to blunt attacks from their opponents on the issue.

      • Thune leads Tim Johnson 50-49
      • Sununu defeated Jeanne Shaheen 51-47
      • Talent defeated Jean Carnahan 50-49


    • Open seat Senate candidates Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) and House candidates Jo Bonner (R-AL), and Bob Beauprez (R-CO) also made their support of a responsible drug benefit along the lines of the House bill an important part of their campaigns.

      • Dole defeated Erskine Bowles 54-45
      • Cornyn defeated Ron Kirk 55-43
      • Bonner defeated Judy McCain Belk 60-38
      • Beauprez leads Mike Feeley 48-46


    • The Medicare prescription drug issue was expected to be pivotal in Maine, where Sen. Susan Collins, R, successfully defended her seat against Chellie Pingree, D, who devised a controversial price-control system for prescription drugs in Maine. Democrats thought this issue and this candidate were their best chance to make the race competitive. The effort failed.


  • Alternatively, many Democrats had messages on prescription drugs that didn’t seem to resonate with voters.



    • Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Bob Clement (D-TN) said Republicans were too aligned with big pharmaceutical companies.

      • Johnson is losing to Thune 50-49
      • Shaheen lost to Sununu 51-47
      • Clement lost to Lamar Alexander, 55-44


    • Erskine Bowles (D-NC), Jean Carnahan (D-MO), Walter Mondale (D-MN), and Ron Kirk (D-TX) supported a government-run drug benefit for Medicare and the promotion of generic drugs.

      • Bowles lost to Dole 54-45
      • Carnahan lost to Talent 50-49
      • Mondale lost to Norm Coleman 50-48
      • Kirk lost to Cornyn 55-43


    • In New York, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Carl McCall cut a television spot blaming incumbent Gov. Pataki for the state’s high prescription drug prices. McCall lost.

    General health issues



    • Many candidates discussed health care issues specific to their districts.



      • Medical malpractice reform was an issue in Maryland’s gubernatorial race as well as in the West Virginia House race between Shelley Moore Capito (R) and Jim Humphreys (D).

        • In Maryland, Ehrlich defeated Kennedy-Townsend 51-48
        • Capito defeated Democrat Humphreys 60-40


      • State efforts to lower prescription drug costs were important issues in most contests for governor, but especially in Florida where Jeb Bush defeated Bill McBride 56-43




      For more information contact:
      Galen Institute
      (703) 299-8900

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Analysis of Key Races

POSTED BY Galen Institute on November 6, 2002.

 

Oregon Single Payer

Oregon voters saw the light and rejected Measure 23 by an overwhelming vote of 79% to 21% (with 76% of the vote in). The measure would have funneled all the public and private money spent on health care in the state into a “single-payer” account run by government. A study by LECG consulting, released just before the election showed that every Oregon resident would have paid an additional $4,000 to $5,900 in taxes if the new system were implemented.

Prescription Drugs



  • The prescription drug benefit for Medicare which the House passed in 2002 gave Republicans an edge on an issue that traditionally favors Democrats.



    • House Incumbents John Shimkus (R-IL) and Nancy Johnson (R-CT) actively campaigned on their support of the House Medicare prescription drug bill.

      • Shimkus defeated David Phelps 55-45
      • Johnson defeated Jim Malony 54-43


    • Senate challengers John Thune (R-SD), John Sununu (R-NH), and Jim Talent (R-MO) also used their support of the House Medicare bill to blunt attacks from their opponents on the issue.

      • Thune leads Tim Johnson 50-49
      • Sununu defeated Jeanne Shaheen 51-47
      • Talent defeated Jean Carnahan 50-49


    • Open seat Senate candidates Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) and House candidates Jo Bonner (R-AL), and Bob Beauprez (R-CO) also made their support of a responsible drug benefit along the lines of the House bill an important part of their campaigns.

      • Dole defeated Erskine Bowles 54-45
      • Cornyn defeated Ron Kirk 55-43
      • Bonner defeated Judy McCain Belk 60-38
      • Beauprez leads Mike Feeley 48-46


    • The Medicare prescription drug issue was expected to be pivotal in Maine, where Sen. Susan Collins, R, successfully defended her seat against Chellie Pingree, D, who devised a controversial price-control system for prescription drugs in Maine. Democrats thought this issue and this candidate were their best chance to make the race competitive. The effort failed.


  • Alternatively, many Democrats had messages on prescription drugs that didn’t seem to resonate with voters.



    • Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Bob Clement (D-TN) said Republicans were too aligned with big pharmaceutical companies.

      • Johnson is losing to Thune 50-49
      • Shaheen lost to Sununu 51-47
      • Clement lost to Lamar Alexander, 55-44


    • Erskine Bowles (D-NC), Jean Carnahan (D-MO), Walter Mondale (D-MN), and Ron Kirk (D-TX) supported a government-run drug benefit for Medicare and the promotion of generic drugs.

      • Bowles lost to Dole 54-45
      • Carnahan lost to Talent 50-49
      • Mondale lost to Norm Coleman 50-48
      • Kirk lost to Cornyn 55-43


    • In New York, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Carl McCall cut a television spot blaming incumbent Gov. Pataki for the state’s high prescription drug prices. McCall lost.

    General health issues



    • Many candidates discussed health care issues specific to their districts.



      • Medical malpractice reform was an issue in Maryland’s gubernatorial race as well as in the West Virginia House race between Shelley Moore Capito (R) and Jim Humphreys (D).

        • In Maryland, Ehrlich defeated Kennedy-Townsend 51-48
        • Capito defeated Democrat Humphreys 60-40


      • State efforts to lower prescription drug costs were important issues in most contests for governor, but especially in Florida where Jeb Bush defeated Bill McBride 56-43




      For more information contact:
      Galen Institute
      (703) 299-8900

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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