Doctors and Nurses Flip Congressional Seats
Democratic health professionals won about half a dozen Republican-held House seats in the 2026 midterms, with several candidates campaigning on their medical credentials.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
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Democratic doctors and nurses flipped about half a dozen Republican-held congressional seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Senator-elect Annie Andrews of South Carolina, a pediatrician, became among the first Democratic doctors elected to the Senate in approximately 60 years.
Why it matters
The candidates made health policy and opposition to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s agenda central to their campaigns, reflecting how health care has become a defining electoral issue. The outcome follows a smaller wave of doctors and scientists who ran against Trump's first administration in 2018.
Roughly six Republican-held House seats flipped to Democratic health professionals in the 2026 midterms, up from a smaller wave in 2018. The political group 314 Action spent $30 million backing these candidates, though the source does not detail how that spending was allocated across races.
The players
Annie Andrews
Annie Andrews is a pediatrician and Senator-elect from South Carolina who became among the first Democratic doctors elected to the Senate in approximately 60 years.
Richard Pan
Richard Pan is a pediatrician and former California state legislator who previously worked to tighten vaccine exemptions.
314 Action
314 Action is a political organization that recruited and funded scientists and health care professionals running for office.
The details
Candidates including oncology nurse practitioner Kristina Knickerbocker, former Veterans Affairs nurse Mitchell Berman, emergency physician Amish Shah and plastic surgeon Adam Hamawy campaigned on their professional credentials. In California, pediatrician and former state legislator Richard Pan defeated incumbent Kevin Kiley, who ran as an independent.
Timeline
2018: A smaller wave of doctors and scientists ran against Trump's first administration.
Last year: Affordable Care Act subsidies expired.
November 4, 2026: Midterm election in which Democrats won the seats.
Season Trajectory
The 2026 result extends the 2018 pattern of doctors and scientists running for office in opposition to a Republican administration. Its scale and the Senate election of a pediatrician signal that health professionals are becoming a more prominent electoral bloc.
The newly elected lawmakers have signaled priorities including restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies that expired last year and simplifying insurance processes to improve patient benefits. Whether those priorities translate into legislation will shape coverage costs for many households.
The takeaway
Health professionals winning office signals that voters are weighing medical credentials and health policy heavily in this election cycle. Readers tracking coverage costs should watch how these lawmakers act on subsidy restoration in the next session.
Further reading
For related coverage of health careers, see Nursing Jobs.
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