It's a challenge for officials at all levels of government, including a state lawmaker in Utah who recently had to talk it out with someone he blocked.
Since the Trump administration slashed outreach funds and shortened the enrollment period to sign up for Affordable Care Act plans, local groups struggle to get the word out to Latinos and others.
Joe Straus, the influential Texas House Speaker, was viewed as a pragmatic moderate who blocked a so-called 'bathroom bill' from passing during this year's legislative session.
"It's a power dynamic that's difficult even for female lawmakers," said Samantha Corbin, a lobbyist in Sacramento., "Men often control fundraising, your ability to get bills passed."
Feinstein's reputation as a bipartisan bridge builder may work against her with some California Democrats who are eager for a more confrontational approach to the Trump Administration.
While Collins would have been a front-runner in a race for governor, her centrist style had turned some Republicans against her and she might have faced a tough primary.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback said the 2012 tax cuts would deliver a "shot of adrenaline" to the state's economy. Instead, revenues crashed, spending cuts, borrowing and accounting tricks followed.
Obamacare made it easier for people to leave jobs to start their own ventures and entice others to join, knowing they could buy insurance independently. Some entrepreneurs worry that could change.
The Department of Homeland Security said earlier this year that it had evidence of Russian activity in 21 states. But they didn't inform individual states whether they were among those targeted.