Voters agree ‘healthcare in America shouldn’t be a choice between life or debt’
Democratic doctors backed by 314 Action Fund won four of the country’s most closely watched races on Tuesday: Dr. Amy Acton was elected governor of Ohio, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan and Dr. Amish Shah flipped Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. Dr. Annie Andrews also flipped the South Carolina Senate for the first time in 28 years. In a cycle defined by rising healthcare costs and attacks on public health, voters chose leaders with medical backgrounds to fight for affordable healthcare and put science at the center of policymaking. In response, 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton released the following statement:
“Voters trust doctors because they agree, healthcare in America shouldn’t be a choice between life or debt. On Tuesday, Dr. Andrews, Dr. Acton, Dr. El-Sayed and Dr. Shah turned that trust into victories in some of the biggest races in the country.”
Before the election, KFF polling showed that 9 in 10 Democrats and three quarters of Republicans agreed the U.S. healthcare system needs a complete overhaul or major changes. Healthcare costs ranked among voters’ top concerns as families faced rising premiums and uncertainty over access. Meanwhile, measles outbreaks and the Trump administration’s attacks on vaccine policy underscored the importance of public health expertise.
In South Carolina, pediatrician and mom Dr. Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham to become the first female Democratic doctor elected to the Senate, and the first Democratic Senator from South Carolina in nearly 30 years. In Michigan, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former Wayne County health director, won a pivotal Senate race against Mike Rogers, becoming the first Democratic doctor elected to the Senate in 60 years.
In Ohio, Dr. Amy Acton became the first Democrat elected Governor of Ohio in 20 years. Dr. Acton, a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, won a competitive race against Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in Arizona, Dr. Amish Shah, an emergency room physician and former state legislator, flipped AZ-01 in a $30 million battleground race for control of the House. Their victories demonstrate that candidates with scientific and medical backgrounds can win tough races and put qualified leaders in positions to shape healthcare policy.
All four candidates were part of 314 Action’s Guardians of Public Health initiative launched ahead of the midterms. The program aims to elect 100 new doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals by 2030, and 314 Action has committed to raising and spending over $25 million in the effort. The initiative drove a surge of doctors to run for office this cycle, including fellow winning candidates Dr. Adam Hamawy (NJ-12) and Dr. Richard Pan (CA-06).