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Just 15 days ahead of the election, Montana Lt. Gov. laid out his ideas on how he鈥檇 handle the COVID-19 pandemic if elected governor. Details were few, but the Democrat鈥檚 plan became one of only a handful being offered by candidates in the 11 U.S. governor鈥檚 races about how they鈥檒l approach what鈥檚 certain to be the dominant issue of their terms, should they win.

While much of the nation鈥檚 focus is on who will be president come January, voters who are deciding the next occupant of their governor鈥檚 mansion are also effectively choosing the next leader of their state鈥檚 COVID-19 response. The virus has made governors鈥� power highly visible to voters. As the states鈥� top executives, they decide whether to issue mask mandates, close businesses and order people to stay home.

All but two races for governor feature incumbents running for reelection: Montana鈥檚 Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock can鈥檛 run again because of term limits and Utah鈥檚 Republican Gov. Gary Herbert decided not to run for another term. In several other competitive races for governor this year, such as those in North Carolina and Missouri, opponents clash on the role of state mandates in slowing the virus. Still, COVID-19 often fades into the backdrop of many long-standing platforms or primarily comes up as candidates talk about the need to revive the economy.

Cooney鈥檚 proposal, Monday, suggested using the National Guard to transport patients in extreme weather and subsidizing heating bills to help those quarantining at home. But other parts vaguely described how he would 鈥渄evelop a robust plan鈥� to come.

His opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. , has acknowledged the health crisis but has focused primarily on the economy, the state has to 鈥渃ure the economic pandemic鈥� the virus caused.

Rep. Greg Gianforte, Mike Cooney鈥檚 Republican opponent, joins President Donald Trump at a rally at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport on Nov. 3, 2018, in Belgrade, Montana.(William Campbell/Corbis via Getty Images)

, a health economist with the University of Montana, said Cooney鈥檚 list was one of the first times he鈥檚 seen long-term planning for COVID-19 come up in what appears to be the nation鈥檚 . But, he added, neither Montana candidate has offered a concrete plan to deal with the dual crises that risk public health when people gather and businesses鈥� bottom lines when they don鈥檛. Meanwhile, the state鈥檚 number of COVID-19 and its .

鈥淲hoever wins, this is going to be the bulk of their term,鈥� Ward said. 鈥淗ow are the candidates going to keep people afloat as long as they can? What are we doing in terms of planning for what we think our post-COVID world is going to look like?鈥�

An October found 29% of registered voters said the economy was the most important issue in choosing a president, while 18% said the coronavirus outbreak was their top issue. Republican voters were more likely to pick the economy, the survey found, and Democrats were more likely to pick the coronavirus. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.)

鈥淭here are voters that feel that the government needs to lead, and there are voters that feel that the government is utilizing a pandemic to become too invasive,鈥� said , a former Democratic Ohio state senator now teaching in American University鈥檚 public administration and policy department. 鈥淧eople are not necessarily making their decisions on 鈥楧id you do contact tracing? Are you going to slow the spread?鈥欌��

Among the incumbent governors seeking reelection this year, most of their campaigns鈥� focus on COVID-19 has been on how well they鈥檝e responded to the crisis. Several pledge more of what they鈥檝e been doing. 鈥淲e鈥檒l continue to follow the science and wear masks,鈥� Delaware Democratic Gov. John Carney said in a recent debate.

Meanwhile, their challengers generally seek to cast the incumbents as mismanaging their states鈥� response and promising to undo what鈥檚 been done. Those who have put out actual plans to handle the pandemic are Democratic challengers to Republican governors, and their plans are similar to what Cooney released 鈥� some specific ideas and promises to fill in the gaps later.

In Missouri, Democratic challenger Nicole Galloway, who is the state auditor, made health care the center of her campaign and to respond to the virus with a statewide mask mandate and a limit on when public school classes can meet in person based on the community鈥檚 rate of infection.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson is the apparent front-runner in that state鈥檚 race. He has pledged to lead 鈥渢he greatest economic comeback that we鈥檝e ever seen in Missouri history.鈥� The former Polk County sheriff also has focused on supporting law enforcement amid backlash against police brutality and racial injustice.

Curbing the coronavirus has taken a back seat to boosting the economy in Parson鈥檚 campaign. And, as governor, Parson has refused to issue a statewide mask mandate, despite a White House recommendation to do so. In late September, the governor and his wife tested positive for COVID-19. Parson has to work, which includes traveling across the state.

One of the more heated races is in North Carolina, where Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is defending his seat against a challenge by his lieutenant governor, Republican Dan Forest. Forest sued Cooper this year to challenge the governor鈥檚 authority to impose COVID-related restrictions by executive order.

Forest dropped the lawsuit in August after a judge made a preliminary ruling against his case, then said on , 鈥淚 did my part. If y鈥檃ll want your freedoms back you鈥檒l have to make your voices heard in November.鈥�

Cooper鈥檚 campaign called the lawsuit for Forest鈥檚 political campaign. Since then, the governor has slowly eased COVID restrictions, updating an executive order to allow a limited number of people in bars, sporting events, movie theaters and amusement parks. Cooper is leading the race in recent .

Back in Montana, the pandemic surfaced in the gubernatorial campaign after health officials on Oct. 16 that a Helena concert, which Gianforte attended, was linked to several COVID-19 cases. More than for flouting local health restrictions, going maskless and of safety precautions at campaign events. Cooney called on him to suspend his campaign events until tested. Gianforte鈥檚 campaign has said he鈥檚 taking proper precautions and Cooney of politicizing a public health issue.

Cooney has said he鈥檒l keep Montana鈥檚 COVID-19 response on the track he is helping set as lieutenant governor, with science guiding that work. Gianforte, who built a tech startup in Bozeman, has touted his business experience as proof he can . Both have said more needs to be learned about this virus and have pitched themselves as the one to steer the state鈥檚 economy through the crisis.

Ward, the University of Montana health economist, said the details are missing, such as how the winner will support businesses through the winter without federal aid. Or what the new governor would cut from the state budget if the economic crisis hits its coffers.

The state has a public mask mandate and a plan for reopening the economy with no apparent thresholds or timelines. The option for stricter rules has been left to county governments as the state sees its largest COVID surge yet.

, a political scientist at Carroll College in Helena, said the initial lack of detailed pandemic policy in the state鈥檚 race could be attributed to both candidates trying to win over swing voters with safe themes. President Donald Trump won Montana in 2016 by 20 points, but the state has also had a Democratic governor for 16 years. While polls show Gianforte leading Cooney slightly, election handicappers and the still consider the race a toss-up.

Yet as Election Day nears, the question of how to address the pandemic only looms larger. Montana鈥檚 case count is rising, adding to its total of more than 23,000 cases in the state of roughly 1 million.