Republican-Led Reopenings Sharpen Political Divide Over Virus

“If there’s no spike, those who were aggressive in reopening will reap the benefit,” Doug Heye, a Republican strategist, said, referring to potential increases in Covid-19 cases and deaths. “And the corollary is true: if there is a spike — and the spike is in those places that got rid of their mask mandates earlier, reopened too soon — there’s a very real political price to be paid.”