“The possibility of adding more Democratic doctors to the caucus means the number of doctors who support abortion rights, including OB-GYNs in particular, would also grow in Congress”
October 14, 2024
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA — Last week, National Journal highlighted 314 Action’s work to recruit, train, and help elect Democratic doctors to Congress. Shaughnessy Naughton, founder and president of 314 Action, spoke about the importance of electing physicians and doctors to tackle our nation’s most pressing issues—including abortion, climate change, and housing.
314 Action candidates in key U.S. House districts across the country—from Dr. Amish Shah in Arizona’s 1st, Dr. Maxine Dexter in Oregon’s 3rd, Dr. Kelly Morrison in Minnesota’s 3rd, and Dr. Kristin Lyerly Wisconsin’s 8th, detailed their vision for public service and policymaking, and how they’ll fight for their constituents in Washington, as they have done in their medical practices.
National Journal: The Democratic docs running for Congress
Erin Durkin
10/10/24
Key sections:
- The 118th Congress had more than 15 physicians in the House chamber, only four of whom were Democrats. But three of those GOP physicians—Reps. Larry Bucshon, Michael Burgess, and Brad Wenstrup—are not running for reelection.
- There are five new Democratic physicians running for the House who are backed by 314 Action, a group that focuses on recruiting and training Democratic scientists for public office. Three of the five are favored to win. One contender is in a tight race against GOP Rep. David Schweikert in Arizona’s 1st District, and another is running to flip Wisconsin’s 8th District.
“Overwhelmingly what I hear from [physicians] is they get to a certain point and they realize there’s only so much they can do for their patient from the exam room, and to really have a more complete care for their patients, they needed to take this step into public service,” said Shaughnessy Naughton, founder and president of 314 Action.
- Some of the candidates told National Journal that physicians can bring a broader perspective and connection to their communities that other politicians lack.
“Politicians in general are pretty isolated in their spheres of influence,” said Maxine Dexter, a physician who is running to replace retiring Rep. Earl Blumenauer in Oregon’s 3rd District. “Physicians, when they come into politics, have a pretty diverse perspective.”
- Amish Shah, an emergency physician who is running to unseat Schweikert in Arizona, said physicians, nurses, and patients are aware of how “broken our system is.”
“I saw a lot of people in politics who were not really connected to the people they serve, so I wanted to really bridge that gap,” Shah said. “I’m known around town for being the door-knocking guy, because I’ve knocked on 22,000 doors personally.”
- Kelly Morrison, an OB-GYN running for Minnesota’s 3rd District, said she was struck…
“…by how similar the act of door-knocking is to taking care of patients, because you knock on someone’s door and they answer it, you introduce yourself, and then you listen—you listen to what’s on people’s minds, what’s bothering them, what’s hurting them, and then you take that information and try to solve problems together.”
- Kristin Lyerly, another OB-GYN, who is running for Wisconsin’s 8th District, is encouraging physicians to run for public office.
“As physicians, we are respected and we hear so many stories from other people that gives us a broad idea of what people are going through and how we can use our skills uniquely to make change in our communities,” she said.
- 314 Action also backs the four incumbent Democratic physicians in the House, three of whom are in Democratic-leaning districts.
The fourth, Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Colorado, represents a district that is considered a toss-up, according to The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.
- The possibility of adding more Democratic doctors to the caucus means the number of doctors who support abortion rights, including OB-GYNs in particular, would also grow in Congress. The current OB-GYNs in Congress, Burgess and Sen. Roger Marshall, are antiabortion.
“I think, in this moment in our nation’s history, having an OB-GYN who has practiced for more than 20 years, who understands what these abortion bans do to patients and to families, is really important,” Morrison said.
- If these candidates make it to Capitol Hill, they will have to work with a polarized Congress, including conservative doctors such as Rep. Andy Harris, who is the new chair of the House Freedom Caucus.
“We’re all scientists at the core of this,” Dexter said. “We are usually pretty pragmatic, and we’re willing to be swayed in our opinions based on data. That is really what I’m going to show up and expect that my conservative colleagues and I can really dig into.”
- Shah pointed to his work in Arizona’s Republican legislature, where he reached across the aisle to address issues such as maternal health, pay for police officers, and violence against health care workers.
“I can get stuff done,” he said. “I’ve spoken to some congresspeople already and asked them, ‘Despite this dysfunction, are you able to get stuff done?’ I think … that the media doesn’t always cover all of the positive policy changes that are bipartisan that do happen.”
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