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Poll: Colorado Voters’ Top Issues for Gubernatorial Race Are
Education, Health Care and Housing
Most Residents See the State’s Economy
as Improving, But View Health Care and Housing Costs as Getting Worse
Colorado voters most
often cite education, health care and housing costs as the top issues for the
state’s gubernatorial candidates to discuss ahead of the November elections,
finds a new Kaiser Family Foundation/Colorado Health Foundation
(KFF/CHF) poll.
The poll of more than
1800 residents reveals Coloradans’ views on a wide range of issues leading
into the 2018 midterm elections and highlights differences related to health
and quality of life among key demographic subgroups, including geography,
income, race/ethnicity and partisan identification.
Among voters, about
one in five cite each of education (21%), health care (21%), and housing
costs (18%) as a top issue in the gubernatorial race. Fewer voters cite
economy and jobs (14%), immigration (13%), gun policy (11%), crime (9%),
taxes and tax reform (9%), and hunger (8%) as top issues.
The poll shows a partisan divide over the
importance of health care, as seen nationally in other KFF polls. Republicans
are least likely to say health care is the most important issue (12%),
ranking the issue tied with education as fourth behind immigration, the
economy and jobs, and housing costs. A third of Colorado Democratic voters
(33%) say health care is the most important issue, making it their top issue,
and nearly one in five independents (18%) rank health care as their most
important issue, ranking second just behind education.
When voters who say
health care is an important issue are asked what specifically about health
care they would like the candidates to discuss, four in ten Colorado voters
(41%) cite health care costs – at least four times as many as name any other
health care issue.
“For Colorado voters, affordable housing and
education are right up there with health care as top issues in the governor’s
race,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said. “One lesson is that top issues
in state elections often can look quite different than in national polls,
though health care emerges among the top tier in both.”
The poll suggests
Colorado Democrats are more motivated to vote in November’s Congressional
elections than others. Nearly half (49%) say they are “more enthusiastic”
about voting in the Congressional elections this year, compared to about
three in 10 Republicans (29%) and independents (31%).
For many Colorado
voters, President Trump could play a significant role in the election. More
voters say that a candidate’s support for or opposition to President Trump is
the biggest factor in their Congressional vote (29%) than say the same about
a candidate’s character and experience (23%), local or state issues (24%), or
specific national issues (19%).
Coloradans See Housing Costs, Substance
Abuse and Health Care Costs Getting Worse
Overall Coloradans are optimistic about the
state’s economy and job market, with six in 10 (59%) saying the economy is
getting better in the state. On the other hand, most Coloradans say that
housing costs (80%), health care costs (55%), and substance abuse (53%) are
getting worse.
When asked about a series of priorities for state
government, residents rank health care costs at the top of the list. Eight in
10 (80%) cite lowering what people pay for health care as at least “very
important” for the state government to address.
Seven in 10 say the
same about making housing more affordable (69%) and funding mental health
programs (70%). Fewer, but still a majority, say so about programs to address
hunger (62%), substance abuse treatment and prevention (58%) and programs to
help children be physically active (52%).
Health care costs rank
among the top state government priorities across most demographic groups in
Colorado. Notably, however, half (52%) of Black residents and one-third (33%)
of those with incomes less than $40,000 name housing costs as their top
priority.
Three in 10 Coloradans Worry about
Losing Their Home Due to Its Cost
Half of Coloradans
report that it has become harder for residents to afford their rent or
mortgage in recent years (52%). In addition, nearly three in 10 (28%) say
they worry that they might lose their home because they can’t afford their
monthly payments, including one in eight (12%) who are “very worried.”
These housing worries are worse among residents in
the Denver/Boulder area, where two thirds (65%) of residents say it has
become more difficult to afford their rent and mortgage costs, and about a
third (35%) worry about losing their home because they can’t afford their
monthly payments.
Most
Coloradans Report Being in Excellent or Very Good Health, But There is
Significant Variation by Income
The survey finds most
Coloradans say that their health (53%) and mental health (64%) are
“excellent” or “very good,” with variations by income and race/ethnicity.
For example, fewer than half of those earning less
than $40,000 report that their general health (38%) or their mental health
(47%) is “excellent” or “very good,” compared to majorities of those with
higher incomes. Black and Hispanic residents are also less likely than Whites
to report “excellent” or “very good” health overall. There is little
variation by region.
"Not every
Coloradan feels they and their family can attain a good quality of life,
particularly if they are living on lower incomes or are Black or Hispanic.
That’s a sign of inequity that is negatively influencing the health of our
state overall,” said Colorado Health Foundation President and CEO Karen
McNeil-Miller. “Even with an expanding economy, our state's work of bringing
affordable health care and housing within reach for all Coloradans remains
unfinished business. Coloradans want and expect the next elected leaders of
Colorado to prioritize addressing these challenges.”
Other key findings
include:
Designed and analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser
Family Foundation in consultation with the Colorado Health Foundation, Coloradans’ Perspectives on Health,
Quality of Life, and Midterm Elections was conducted by landline
and cellular telephone August 15 – September 19, 2018 among a random
representative sample of 1,803 adults ages 18 and older living in Colorado.
The margin of sampling error including the design effect for the full sample
is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For results based on other subgroups,
the margin of sampling error may be higher.
Filling
the need for trusted information on national health issues, KFF (the
Kaiser Family Foundation) is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco,
California.
The Colorado Health Foundation is bringing
health in reach for all Coloradans by engaging closely with communities
across the state through investing, policy advocacy, learning and capacity
building. For more information, please visit www.coloradohealth.org.
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Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Poll: Colorado Voters’ Top Issues for Gubernatorial Race Are Education, Health Care and Housing
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