How Democratic healthcare ad blitz helped sink GOP Senate candidates

EXCLUSIVE — Poorly articulated healthcare positions may have cost Republicans critical Senate races after Democrats used their policy stances against them in the 2026 midterm elections, new research shows.A Plymouth Union Public Research analysis obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner found that Democrats “spent heavily to make Senate Republicans own rising healthcare costs in the midterms,” elections that were “defined by affordability.”“Democrats spent almost $100 million in key U.S. Senate races surgically tying Republicans to rising healthcarecosts,” Plymouth Union Public Research wrote in the memo, dated Thursday. “Republicans gave Democrats additional ammunition by failing to extend the enhanced [Obamacare] premium tax credits in 2025. The GOP’s mistake specifically came back to bite its candidates running in Michigan, Georgia, Maine, and Kansas.” Specifically, 24 Democratic-aligned groups spent $97.6 million on 89 healthcare-related TV ads in nine states with competitive U.S. Senate races — Michigan, Georgia, Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Kansas, Alaska, and North Carolina — between Labor Day and Election Day.Most of that money was spent in Michigan ($22.7 million), Georgia ($15.1 million), and Maine ($15.5 million), with the Democratic group WinSenate doling out the most — $34 million on 21 ads.About 79% of money was spent on ads attacking Republicans and approximately 23% on spots that mentioned Obamacare premiums, in addition to how Republicans caused the “increased costs by failing to extend the enhanced premium tax credits” passed under former President Joe Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Plymouth Union Public Research, a Republican-aligned organization.Republicans declined to extend the tax credits through last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.The Democratic strategy with the healthcare ads was threefold: ads that criticized Republicans for their healthcare policies ($52.7 million on 44 spots), ads that contrasted Democrats’ positions with those of the GOP ($24.1 million on 20 spots), and ads that portrayed Democrats’ stances positively ($20.8 million on 25 spots).“Democratic candidates’ own campaigns spent $40.5 million, with 52% of that spend placing positive ads,” Plymouth Union Public Research wrote. “14 outside groups spent $57.1 million on negative and contrast ads. Notably, placement in Alaska was entirely negative, while placement in North Carolina was 100% positive supporting Roy Cooper.”In comparison, the research also found Republicans spent only $65 million on healthcare ads, 75% of which was doled out on negative spots versus 25% to positive ones.Democrats have traditionally had a polling advantage over Republicans regarding healthcare, particularly after former President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats introduced Obamacare in 2010.For example, exit polls from last week’s midterm elections found a majority, 51%, of respondents considered Democrats “better able to handle healthcare,” while 59% told pollsters they were “very concerned” about the cost of healthcare “when it comes to [their] personal financial situation.”Additionally, the same exit polls found 55% of respondents perceived the Trump administration’s policies to “have made [their] healthcare costs … worse,” though 35% told pollsters they had “not made much difference,” as healthcare was the fourth-most important issue facing the country (8%) after the economy (39%), the state of democracy (33%), and immigration (13%).Regardless, a Republican campaign operative told the Washington Examiner the GOP “made a mistake by allowing Democrats to own the affordability conversation on healthcare.”“Republicans gave Democrats an opening after failing to extend the enhanced premium tax credits,” the strategist said. “The numbers show just how much they invested in tying Republicans to rising costs. We can debate the policy, but politically, we shouldn’t be surprised they seized on an issue voters were already worried about.”Trump has tried to improve the optics with respect to Republicans and healthcare, especially after he said during his 2024 election debate against former Vice President Kamala Harris that he had “concepts of a plan” when asked whether he had a proposal to replace Obamacare.TRUMP SIGNALS NO RETREAT FROM MAGA AGENDA WITH STEPHEN MILLER PROMOTIONTo that end, Trump revealed his “Great Healthcare Plan” in January, which attempts to decrease prescription drug prices, reduce insurance premiums, hold big insurance companies accountable, and increase price transparency through direct payments to the public.“It goes to you, and then you take the money and buy your own healthcare,” he said at the time. “The big insurance companies lose and the people of our country win.”