• States with Republican governors collectively had higher overall death rates during 2018 and 2019 (prior to COVID), 7% above the state group with Democrat governors.

• This differential has doubled during the COVID years, widening to 15%. The COVID death rate across the first 30 months of the pandemic has been 23% higher across the Republican-led states.

• West Virginia experienced the nation’s highest overall (and the highest COVID) death rate during the first nine months of 2022. Utah has the lowest overall death rate during 2022; Alaska has the lowest COVID death rate.