Top House hashtags:
1. #wtpblue
2. #onev1
3. #qanon
Top Senate hashtags:
1. #demcastme
2. #demcastsc
3. #mepolitics
Interesting climbers:
#aca – This refers, of course, to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Both sides are using the hashtag for their own purposes. The most popular post today comes from Texas 07, where Republicans argue that the ACA is too expensive, and that by contrast, “Trump guarantees coverage of pre-existing conditions.” Dream on, sweet innocents…
#preexistingconditions – Here, the hashtag is most prominently used to point out Colorado Senator Cory Gardner’s past support for repealing the ACA without a replacement system. Gardner has since tried to cover his tracks by coauthoring a bill that would guarantee coverage for people with pre-existing conditions no matter what else happens. Of course, without a functioning system in place, guarantees aren’t worth a whole lot.
#stopsusan – A blanket hashtag for the forces taking aim at Maine’s embattled GOP incumbent Susan Collins. It seems they’re making a mark, because….
GENERAL TRENDS:
The big news here comes from @QuinnipiacPoll polls in Maine and South Carolina. In Maine, Democratic challenger Sara Gideon is up 12 points on embattled incumbent Republican Susan Collins. In South Carolina, Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison has pulled even with longtime incumbent Lindsey Graham. The #DemcastME and #DemcastSC are networks of Democratic social-media users that are amplifying one another’s content quite effectively.
In the House races, several Democrat-associated posts are leading the pack today. #wtpblue is a reference to “We the People,” a slogan used by Democratic activists and candidates. #onev1 refers to One Voice, a pro-Democratic Twitter network that focuses on “amplifying each others voices and expanding the reach of our Dem Candidates.”
However, #COVID19 is rising as an issue-based hashtag, with Democratic candidates increasingly using it as a stick to beat Republican incumbents. Given the strong appearances of the ACA-related tags above, it’s clear that healthcare – for extremely obvious reasons – is playing a major role in these local races.