As midterm elections approach, a notable increase in medical professionals running for office indicates a strategic counter to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, reflecting broader concerns over healthcare policy and trust in medical expertise.
In the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections, a significant number of medical professionals are entering the political arena, motivated by a desire to influence national health policy amid rising healthcare costs and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This surge includes at least seven physicians running for congressional seats, among them Democrats Abdul El-Sayed from Michigan, Annie Andrews from South Carolina, Amish Shah from Arizona, and Richard Pan from California. In addition, 14 non-incumbent nurses are also seeking congressional positions, as reported by Nurse.org in its Nurses on the Ballot research series.
The trend is not limited to Democratic candidates. Among Republican non-incumbents, neurosurgeon John Cowan of Georgia and internist Ralph Alvarado of Kentucky are also in contention for House seats. Currently, the number of medical professionals serving in Congress stands at 24, comprising four in the Senate and 20 in the House. This means that for the first time in recent history, the number of doctors and nurses running for office surpasses those currently holding office.
Trust in Medical Professionals as a Political Asset
On the campaign trail, these physician candidates are leveraging their medical backgrounds, particularly their experiences during public health emergencies, to justify their candidacy for federal office. A June KFF Tracking Poll highlights that Americans tend to trust their healthcare providers more than federal officials, with a majority expressing greater confidence in their doctors than in agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Similar findings from the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania in March revealed that 86% of respondents trusted their primary care providers for accurate public health information, in stark contrast to only 38% who expressed trust in figures like Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This trend underscores the Democratic Party’s intention to harness this trust as they recruit candidates from the medical field.
“People are really looking for public servants,” remarked Celinda Lake, a Democratic political strategist and president of Lake Research Partners. “They really love their local firefighters, teachers, nurses, doctors. They really trust them, and trust and honesty is the number one trait that people are looking for right now in a political official.”
The Impact of MAHA on Political Aspirations
The emergence of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda appears to have galvanized many medical professionals to consider political careers, a field they may not have previously contemplated. As Lake noted, “What MAHA has been good for is recruiting them, because so many of them see what’s going on and feel like they have to speak up.” This sentiment reflects the growing urgency among healthcare professionals to engage in policymaking as their concerns about healthcare policies intensify.
Andrews, who is running against incumbent Senator Darline Graham (R-S.C.), stated that her decision to enter the race was catalyzed by Kennedy’s nomination as Health and Human Services Secretary. Meanwhile, Pan, a former member of the California state senate, voiced a similar sentiment, emphasizing the need for Congress to include individuals capable of holding the current administration accountable.
Political Action and Recruitment Efforts
314 Action, a political action committee focused on electing Democrats with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), has declared 2026 as the “year of the doctor.” This year marks the inaugural election cycle after the launch of their Guardians of Public Health recruitment initiative, which aims to elevate more healthcare professionals into office. To date, 314 Action is supporting over 120 medical professionals across various congressional and state legislative races.
Among these candidates is Amy Acton, former Director of the Ohio Department of Health and the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor. Her campaign has gained national attention following an attack ad from her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, which controversially featured her mother, whom Acton had not seen since she was 12 due to allegations of abuse. “We are really excited about her race,” said 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton, “and she really draws a stark contrast between a serious candidate who is looking to serve her community in a new way, and whatever you want to call Vivek Ramaswamy.”
Potential Milestones for Physician Candidates
If successful in their respective races, both Andrews and El-Sayed would mark significant milestones for the Democratic Party, becoming the first Democratic M.D.s in the Senate since former Senator Ernest H. Gruening of Alaska left office in 1969. Andrews would be the first Democrat with a medical practice in the Senate since Royal S. Copeland of New York concluded his term in 1938. El-Sayed, who has served as executive director of the Detroit Health Department, faces scrutiny regarding his lack of a completed medical residency and medical license, a point of contention raised by his Republican opponent, former Representative Mike Rogers.
Recent polling indicates that both El-Sayed and Andrews are in competitive races, with neither candidate establishing a significant lead over their GOP challengers. While some of these candidates, like El-Sayed and Pan, have previous political experience, others are newcomers to the political landscape. According to Naughton, the public-facing nature of a physician’s job offers them a unique advantage in political campaigns. “The advantage for a lot of doctors is that they often have a very public-facing job where they have to counsel people in the most intimate of settings and talk them through really complex processes and concerns that they might have to lead them to make decisions that will benefit their health,” she explained.
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