Several candidates with medical backgrounds secured victories in congressional races, reshaping the composition of physicians in Congress. Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician from South Carolina, won a Senate seat, becoming the first practicing Democratic physician to serve in the upper chamber since 1938. Her election, along with that of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist from Michigan, creates an equal balance of Republican and Democratic physicians in the Senate.
The shift reflects a broader demographic change among physician-candidates entering politics. Historically, doctors have sought congressional office as Republicans, typically motivated by concerns over taxation and government regulation of business. The current cohort of medical professionals, many employed by large hospital systems, tends to prioritize issues aligned with Democratic platforms, including public health, healthcare affordability, and equity. Andrews cited her medical practice as inspiration for entering politics, noting her observations of families struggling with medication costs and her concern about gun violence as a leading cause of childhood death.
In the House of Representatives, the Democratic physician caucus will expand by at least two members: Dr. Adam Hamawy from New Jersey and Dr. Richard Pan from California. The Republican physician caucus will add neurosurgeon Dr. John Cowan from Georgia, though at least two incumbent GOP physicians lost their seats. The organization 314 Action, which recruits and supports progressive candidates with scientific backgrounds, invested over $30 million in dozens of candidates and played a significant role in these victories.
The electoral success of physician-candidates reflects public concern over healthcare and affordability, combined with broad trust in medical professionals. The candidates effectively countered messaging from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose positions on vaccines have drawn criticism amid ongoing measles outbreaks. Among those losing reelection were Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Roger Marshall of Kansas, both Republicans and members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. Several downballot physician candidates supported by 314 Action also won state legislative races.
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