At least 18 physicians are expected to serve in the next Congress, with at least 10 of them Democrats, marking a shift from the current Congress, where Republicans outnumber Democratic physicians two to one. Several House races remain undecided, so the final balance could change.
South Carolina pediatrician Annie Andrews won a Senate seat, becoming the first practicing Democratic physician elected to the chamber since 1938, according to the report. Epidemiologist Abdul El-Sayed also won a Senate seat in Michigan. The two victories, alongside losses by Republican senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Roger Marshall of Kansas, will leave the Senate with equal numbers of Republican and Democratic physicians. El-Sayed trained as a physician but did not complete a residency or practice medicine.
In the House, at least two Democrats with medical backgrounds will join the chamber: former Army surgeon Adam Hamawy of New Jersey and pediatrician Richard Pan of California. Georgia neurosurgeon John Cowan won for the Republicans, while several races involving Republican incumbents were still unresolved. In the current House, six Democrats and 10 Republicans are physicians; all four physicians in the current Senate are Republicans.
The election also brought wins for health professionals in other races. Ohio elected Dr. Amy Acton governor, while oncology nurse practitioner Kristina Knickerbocker won a Republican-held House seat. Democratic nurse Lauren Underwood retained her seat in Illinois. Several physician candidates backed by 314 Action also won state legislative seats, including Nikhil Wagle in Iowa, Amelia Gallitano-Mendel in Arizona and Jarod Fox in Florida.
314 Action, which recruits and supports candidates with science backgrounds, invested more than $30 million in dozens of Democratic state and federal races, including 48 physician campaigns. Its president, Shaughnessy Naughton, said the group helps candidates with campaign planning, communications, media training and fundraising.
The incoming lawmakers campaigned on health care costs and access, among other issues. Andrews said before her win that concern about families struggling to afford medicines, including asthma inhalers and insulin, helped motivate her to enter politics. Democratic leaders have identified reversing Republican cuts to health insurance premium subsidies and Medicaid work requirements as priorities.
The number of physicians in Congress has grown substantially from earlier periods. Researcher Chadd Kraus said 25 physicians served in Congress between 1960 and 2004, while the current Congress has 20. He said physicians can bring useful experience to policymaking, particularly as health care becomes more complex, while emphasizing that they do not have a monopoly on good policy.
Sources: NPR Politics.