CNN and The Guardian Spotlight 314 Action in Election Coverage
With less than 48 hours until polls close, CNN and The Guardian are spotlighting the unprecedented wave of Democratic doctors, nurses and scientists running for office in 2026––and the fallout from RFK Jr.’s tenure at HHS. Despite helping deliver the MAHA vote for Trump in 2024, Kennedy has become a political liability for Republicans as voters reject his dismissal of science and abandonment of public health. His appointment galvanized hundreds of healthcare professionals to enter politics for the first time, with at least 125 doctors, nurses and public health experts on Tuesday’s ballot nationwide.
314 Action Executive Director Erik Polyak told CNN the organization received more than 700 applications from prospective candidates this cycle, more than three times its typical election-cycle total. And speaking to The Guardian, Polyak predicted Kennedy will be fired following Democrats’ victories on Tuesday night, saying “For all intents and purposes, MAHA is now dead… After this election, I think the next thing we’re going to see is RFK Jr.’s head on a platter, because we know RFK Jr. is a political liability.”
Read more from CNN and The Guardian:
CNN: MAHA helped power Trump’s 2024 victory — but now RFK Jr. is exposing a GOP midterm vulnerability
“More registered voters trust Democrats than Republicans – 41% compared to 25% — to handle vaccine policy, according to a May KFF poll. Sixty percent of voters said they disapproved of Kennedy’s performance as HHS secretary.
‘What we’ve seen is that voters are really turned off by RFK Jr.’s unscientific approach to public health,’ said Shaughnessy Naughton, a former Democratic Pennsylvania congressional candidate who founded 314 Action, a political strategy group that funds Democratic candidates with scientific backgrounds.
314 Action has run a six-figure ad campaign in at least five states — including Pennsylvania — expressly linking Republicans in competitive races with Kennedy Jr and unpopular federal policies…
For Democrats and their backers, RFK Jr. is seen as the central figure of blame.
‘The more that people are reminded of what he’s actually said and done, and the fact that the Republicans have done nothing to try to hold him accountable, I think that does resonate with voters,’ said Naughton.”
The Guardian: Can Democrats win Maha voters after Trump let them down?
“‘Since RFK Jr was nominated and came into office, RFK Jr has been our number one recruitment and fundraising tool – hands down,’ said Erik Polyak, executive director of 314 Action, which focuses on recruiting and electing “pro-science” Democrats. ‘He has motivated hundreds of doctors, public health leaders and nurses to stand up and run for the first time.’
Indeed, the list of Democratic doctors and nurses running for office across the country is impressive. Among many, physician Amy Acton is running for governor in Ohio, pediatrician Annie Andrews is running for US Senate in South Carolina, and in one of the most widely watched races in the country, Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and public health official, is running for US Senate in Michigan.
‘For all intents and purposes, Maha is now dead, RIP,” said Polyak. “After this election, I think the next thing we’re going to see is RFK Jr’s head on a platter, because we know RFK Jr is a political liability.’”
CNN: A record number of health professionals are running for office. Could they help heal US politics?
“At least 125 doctors, nurses and public health experts are on the ballot for Tuesday’s midterm elections — an unprecedented number from fields that historically offered fewer paths to elected office than boardrooms and courtrooms…
Unprecedented interest
‘Something seemed to change this year,’ said Erik Polyak, executive director of 314 Action, a political action committee that recruits, trains and helps Democrats with science, tech, engineering and math backgrounds get elected. His group has been flooded with support requests.
‘We’ve had over 700 applications from people who want to run for office. To put that in context, it’s usually been like 200 every election cycle,’ Polyak said.’”