National

Data: OpenSecrets; Chart: Will Chase/Axios *Note Devin Nunes resigned from Congress Jan. 1, 2022. 

In the wake of the Texas elementary school shooting, where 19 kids and 2 adults were killed, there is renewed scrutiny on the hundreds of thousands of dollars Republican lawmakers have received in campaign contributions from groups supporting gun rights.

Driving the news: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) received the most money from gun rights supporters. On Tuesday, he received major backlash for responding to the shooting by saying that gun control will not help and that "we need to devote far more law enforcement resources to stopping violent criminals."

Reality check: Experts say that there is a lack of evidence that suggests that increased police presence in schools actually improves safety and instead could "significantly disrupt learning environments."

The shooter was even engaged with law enforcement prior to entering the building, but he still managed to get inside and gun down people in the school.

The big picture: There's a pattern that follows congressional action in the wake of a mass shooting: Lawmakers will zero in on legislation focused on gun control that requires bipartisan support to pass, but that Republicans will not stand behind, Axios' Erin Doherty reports.

By the numbers: Cruz has received over $442,000 from gun rights groups, according to Open Secrets, an organization that tracks money in U.S. politics.

Texas' other senator, John Cornyn (R), is another one of the top lawmakers to receive financial contributions from gun rights supporters amounting to around $340,000. 

Other Texas lawmakers supported by gun rights groups include Reps. Pete Sessions (R) and Dan Crenshaw (R), each of which have received over $208,000 and $126,000, respectively.

Between the lines: The money reflected in this chart comes from direct contributions to lawmakers. 

It does not include the millions of dollars that the National Rifle Association has spent in indirect spending in support and in opposition of specific politicians.

Go deeper: Failed gun legislation is the norm after mass shootings

The GOP lawmakers who get the most cash from gun rights groups

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) received the most money from gun rights supporters.

Guns

Politics & Policy

Data: Axios analysis of CDC data; Chart: Will Chase/Axios

COVID is killing more people per 100,000 in red states than in blue states, a reflection of GOP resistance to vaccines.

Why it matters: "The COVID-19 pandemic removed any doubt that state policies can affect health outcomes," Virginia Commonwealth University professor Steven Woolf recently argued in JAMA.

Between the lines: The partisan gap, measured by deaths above what would normally be expected, was particularly stark during last year's Delta wave, when all adults had access to vaccines but stark differences emerged between Democrats and Republicans' vaccination rates.

The gap shrank during the Omicron wave, as the variant could evade some of the vaccines' protection. 

In the pre-vaccine phase of the pandemic, blue states — particularly big cities — were hit hardest beginning in March 2020. But once those initial outbreaks subsided, the virus took off in red states and less populated areas. 

The big picture: The virus has proved itself to be exhaustingly unpredictable in many ways over the last two years. But there's no doubt that tools like high-quality masks and vaccines reduce the risk of catching the virus, and in the case of vaccines, of dying from it. 

That means it's not surprising that once those tools were widely available, states with political and cultural aversions to using them were hit harder.

The bottom line: America's political divisions are now on display in mortality rates.

Go deeper: Partisanship undermines a playbook for the next pandemic

The pandemic has been deadlier in red states

In the post-vaccine era, red states have seen much higher excess deaths than blue states.

Coronavirus

COVID is killing more people per 100,000 in red states than in blue states, a reflection of GOP resistance to vaccines.Why it matters: &quot;The COVID-19 pandemic removed any doubt that state policies can affect health outcomes,&quot; Virginia Commonwealth University professor Steven Woolf <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="recently argued" data-vars-click-url="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790238?widget=personalizedcontent&amp;previousarticle=2771202" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2790238?widget=personalizedcontent&amp;previousarticle=2771202" target="_blank">recently argued</a> in JAMA.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Data: Google Trends; Map: Jacque Schrag and Will Chase/Axios

Search interest in gas prices has risen steeply in the U.S. as the national average hit an unprecedented $5 per gallon on June 11, new Google Trends data shows.

Driving the news: "Gas prices" was in the top three most searched topics in 121 out of 435 congressional districts during the week of June 6-13, according to data Axios'  midterms dashboard.

Interest was highest in the Midwest, near the Great Lakes, and in parts of the southwest.

"Gas prices" was one of the 5 most-searched topics in 274 districts — up from just 22 districts at the end of May.

National interest in "firearms" remains high. It was one of the top searches in 345 districts.

For the first time since the conflict began, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is no longer in the top five most-searched topics in the U.S.

Why it matters: These findings reflect Americans' focus turning toward domestic issues — and continued pressure on the Biden administration to alleviate the pain at the pump. 

Go deeper: 5 top ways to save on high gas prices

Mapped: "Gas prices" searches rise on Google

As the 2022 midterms approach, Axios is tracking what topics are trending.

2022 elections

A choropleth map of the U.S. showing search interest in "gas prices."

Search interest in gas prices has risen steeply in the U.S. as the national average hit an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="unprecedented $5 per gallon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/11/gas-prices-5-per-gallon" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/11/gas-prices-5-per-gallon" target="_self">unprecedented $5 per gallon</a> on June 11, new Google Trends data shows.Driving the news: &quot;Gas prices&quot; was in the top three most searched topics in 121 out of 435 congressional districts during the week of June 6-13, according to data Axios&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="midterms dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care/" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care/" target="_self">midterms dashboard</a>.

Data: Google Trends; Map: Will Chase and Jacque Schrag/Axios

National interest in firearms surged in nearly every congressional district in the U.S. after the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, new Google Trends data shows.

The deep orange spots on the map above show where search interest was highest.

Driving the news: “Firearms” was the second or third most searched topic in 409 of 435 districts during the week of May 23–30, according to data for our midterms dashboard.

The week before, "firearms" had cracked third place in only 30 districts, and second place in none. Words like "jobs" and "taxes" typically occupy such spots.

Why it matters: The findings reflect Americans' intense concerns around gun violence and school safety — and how potentially potent the issues could be in this year's elections if public attention holds.

Details: Interest was highest in TX-11, a district neighboring Uvalde and containing part of San Antonio. Seven of the top 10 districts searching “firearms” were in Texas.

Mapped: "Firearms" searches surge on Google

National interest in firearms surged in nearly every congressional district in the U.S. after the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, new Google Trends data shows.<ul><li>The deep orange spots on the map above show where search interest was highest.</li></ul>

People from two congressional districts in Ohio are asking Google about gas prices with more urgency than Americans anywhere else. Abortion is a dominant search in deep-red swaths of Oklahoma, and swing districts in Florida and Nevada.

Driving the news: Axios today launches a dashboard using Google Trends data. The interactive site lets you explore which election-moving topics are driving searches in your own congressional district — and how that compares with other parts of the U.S.

Why it matters: Searches are one way to measure the local relevance of issues.

The big picture: Top-searched issues in individual congressional districts are largely in line with national trends. "Jobs" and "taxes" land in the top two the vast majority of the time.

That reflects pocketbook issues' typical role: The economy is almost always at the top of issues polled. (Some of those searches also may simply reflect people using Google to search for work or calculate their taxes.)

"The biggest issues for the majority of people don't seem to be the adversarial culture war stuff, but the nuts-and-bolts stuff," Alasdair Rae, a data scientist who worked with Axios and Google Trends on the project, told Axios.

Details: The dashboard also shows how other issues — from Russia's invasion of Ukraine to abortion, gas prices, inflation and immigration — are driving searches. 

The dashboard reflects data from the week ending May 23. It doesn't yet reflect the nation's reaction to the mass shooting in Uvalde.

Russia and Ukraine. Oregon's newly drawn 1st Congressional District, which includes part of Portland, has had more search interest related to Ukraine than any other district.

Abortion: FL-23, an open blue seat held by Rep. Ted Deutch (D), who is retiring, has searched about abortion more than any other district. The topic was the third most-searched issue on the list for the district.

Axios' Jacque Schrag notes that interest in abortion is also high in districts in Oklahoma, where the governor last week signed the most restrictive abortion ban in the U.S.

Four of the top 10 districts for abortion searches — NV-03, FL-28, FL-27 and KS-03 — all were categorized as highly competitive districts by FiveThirtyEight.

Google searches about abortion spiked nationally after the leak of a U.S. Supreme Court draft decision that would reverse Roe v. Wade, but they have since begun to decline.

Gas prices and inflation searches have been rising, illustrating why Republicans are hammering Democrats over those themes.

The data showed that heavily Republican districts were conducting the most searches about gas prices.

Many were in and around the Appalachian region.

GOP Reps. Bill Johnson's OH-6 and Jim Jordan's OH-4 have been searching about gas prices more than any other district.

Axios' Will Chase notes that "relative interest is really low along the Eastern Seaboard and in city areas where people commute rather than drive." 

Search for "the border/immigration," and you'll see many of the districts along the U.S.' southern border light up — as well as the newly drawn 2nd Congressional District in Washington, which borders Canada.

Some border districts have been impacted by a surge in migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Immigration and border issues were being Googled more than most districts in TX-28 ahead of its closely contested Democratic primary runoff between Rep. Henry Cuellar and challenger Jessica Cisneros.

During that time, border and immigration topics were of more interest than abortion in the district, according to the data.

Axios midterms dashboard: What matters 2022

An interactive dashboard that has a choropleth map of U.S. congressional districts' interest in various topics.

People from two congressional districts in Ohio are asking Google about gas prices with more urgency than Americans anywhere else. Abortion is a dominant search in deep-red swaths of Oklahoma, and swing districts in Florida and Nevada.Driving the news: Axios today launches a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care" data-vars-content-id="f858c479-a637-46b9-ad74-4e34f65334c9" data-vars-headline="Axios midterms dashboard: What matters 2022" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/midterms-elections-2022-issues-americans-care" target="_self">dashboard</a> using Google Trends data. The interactive site lets you explore which election-moving topics are driving searches in your own congressional district — and how that compares with other parts of the U.S.

Sections

Axios Local

Axios gets you smarter, faster with news & information that matters.

About

Subscribe

Will Chase

Stories

Mapped: "Gas prices" searches rise on Google

Mapped: "Firearms" searches surge on Google

Axios midterms dashboard: What matters 2022

The GOP lawmakers who get the most cash from gun rights groups

The pandemic has been deadlier in red states