A look at the polling in California and nationally reveals that Republicans would be wise to come up with a better message on the coronavirus, or else they could be throwing away a clear pathway to a strong 2022 midterm election.

The number one issue for California voters in last week’s recall was the coronavirus. Nearly a third (32%) of the electorate said it was the top issue in the exit poll, which was the runaway for most important. The “no” side on the recall — against the removal of Newsom — won among these voters by a 81% to 19% margin…

When we look at the generic congressional ballot, Democrats lead among voters who said the coronavirus was the top issue by a 63% to 27% margin. Among all other voters, they trail by a 52% to 36% margin.

This is a continuation of a pattern we saw in last year’s presidential election. Trump may very well have won the 2020 election had he formulated a better response to the pandemic. Just as in the polling now, Democrats easily won the support of those who said it was the most important factor in their vote.