Healthcare for Action was established in August 2022 to help elect medical professionals running as Democrats for Congress.  We believe that medical professionals are uniquely positioned–by virtue of their training and day-to-day work–to make positive contributions to the development and implementation of public policy.   From action on climate change, preserving access to abortion, and curbing the epidemic of gun violence our goal was to take action this election cycle to make the change the country needs.  

Healthcare for Action supported five medical professionals running for Congress in the midterm elections:  

• Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and gun control advocate in the first district of South Carolina

• Kermit Jones, a primary care physician and Navy veteran running in the California 3rd

• Asif Mahmood, a pulmonologist in California’s 40th

• Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician and state Assembly member running in Colorado’s new 8th District

• Rep. Lauren Underwood, a nurse and healthcare policy expert running for re-election in the Illinois 14th

Each of these candidates offered a wealth of experience to voters and shared the values on which Healthcare for Action was founded.  We knew that time was short and that our mission was to provide as much support for these excellent candidates that we could.  

 In a little over two months, Healthcare for Action raised over $100,000 making nearly $15,000 in direct contributions to candidates.  We were limited to contributing $2900 to each candidate by federal law, however we were able to contribute another $13,000 to some state party victory funds that were supporting their campaigns as well.  Additionally, Healthcare for Action also spent $40,000 in independent expenditure digital ads within those targeted congressional districts to increase voter turnout in the run up to the election.

 We were so pleased to have played a role in Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s re-election to the House from Illinois.  Congresswoman Underwood was targeted by the Republican Party for defeat this year, but she staved off her challenger and won by nearly 10 points.  Healthcare for Action is also so proud to have helped elect Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s new 8th Congressional District.  This was an incredibly close race that Rep-elect Caraveo, a pediatrician, won by just a few thousand votes.  She will be the first Latina to represent Colorado in Washington.  The race in the California 3rd District, where Healthcare for Action supported physician and Navy veteran Kermit Jones is still too early to call.

But we are so honored and thrilled to support all the candidates we supported for Congress in the midterm elections.  These were very tough races in difficult districts, but each candidate should be proud of the race they ran, knowing that they have made it easier for the next round of medical professionals that step forward to run for Congress.  

Healthcare For Action was founded in 2022 to support healthcare workers running for Congress. Dr. Anahita Dua, Chair of Healthcare for Action, is a Vascular Surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard University.  As a surgeon, she knows that in order to get things done and save lives, the surgery team has to work together and take action. Our politics shouldn’t be any different. There are too many pressing issues facing our democracy.

 As we look ahead to the next election cycle, our ultimate goal remains the same–to elect frontline medical professionals to Congress.  With the benefit of more time, we look forward to meeting with and encouraging doctors, nurses and others in the healthcare field to run for congress, and being with them as they embark on their campaigns.