Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina, making her the first practicing Democratic physician in the Senate since 1938. Dr. Abdul El‑Sayed, an epidemiologist, won in Michigan, creating an equal split of Republican and Democratic physicians in the upper chamber. In the House, Democratic doctors such as Dr. Adam Hamawy of New Jersey and Dr. Richard Pan of California joined an existing six‑member Democratic doctors' caucus, while Republican physician‑candidates like Dr. John Cowan were elected in Georgia.
Historically, most congressional physicians have been Republicans, but this cycle saw a shift toward Democratic candidates, many recruited by the progressive group 314 Action. The organization invested more than $30 million in dozens of Democratic races, supporting 48 physician candidates and providing campaign, communications, and fundraising assistance.
Republican physicians suffered notable defeats: Senators Bill Cassidy (R‑LA) and Roger Marshall (R‑KS) lost their reelection bids, and several Republican doctor‑incumbents in the House retired or were unseated, including Rep. Neal Dunn (R‑FL) and Rep. Mariannette Miller‑Meeks (R‑IA). Some House contests remain too close to call, leaving the exact partisan balance of physician lawmakers uncertain.
The final count of physicians in the new Congress will depend on the outcomes of the remaining close House races, which could affect whether Democratic doctors outnumber their Republican counterparts.