Democratic doctors and scientists win in US midterms, dubbed 'Stem swing'

Left · 2Democratic doctors, scientists and other health and science professionals won races across the ballot in the 2026 US midterms, which a political group that backed them calls the "Stem swing" and "revenge of the nerds". 1 2 Left · 1Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist who previously led Detroit's public health department, was elected to the Senate in Michigan, and pediatrician Annie Andrews flipped a Senate seat in South Carolina, defeating incumbent Republican Darline Graham. 2 Left · 1The Guardian notes that the last time a Democratic doctor held a US Senate seat was in 1969. 1

Left · 1Amy Acton, Ohio's public health chief during Covid-19, beat Vivek Ramaswamy to become governor, and Josh Green won a second term as Hawaii's governor; Scientific American says they are the only two physician-governors in the country. 2 Left · 1In the House, Democrats with science or health backgrounds flipped seats including Iowa's first district, where Christina Bohannan, an environmental engineer and lawyer, beat Republican physician Mariannette Miller-Meeks by nearly 10 points, and Wisconsin's first, where ER nurse Mitchell Berman narrowly beat Bryan Steil. 2 Left · 1Other new House members include Rebecca Bennett (New Jersey's 7th, defeating Tom Kean Jr), Jasmine Clark (Georgia's 13th, described as the first Black woman with a science Ph.D. in Congress), Adam Hamawy (New Jersey's 12th), Daniel Biss (Illinois's 9th), Richard Pan (California's 6th) and Jacqui Irwin (California's 26th), while Elaine Luria returns for Virginia's 2nd. 2

Left · 2Republicans with medical or scientific backgrounds also won, including neuroscientist John Cowan in Georgia's 11th and re-elected physicians Andy Harris, Ronny Jackson, John Joyce, Rich McCormick and Bob Onder; Senate candidate Roger Marshall, an ally of Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, lost in Kansas. 2 1 Left · 2All incumbent Democratic doctors won their races, and the Guardian says races for three more Republican doctors were too close to call; Scientific American lists several uncalled races involving scientists or health professionals of both parties. 1 2 Left · 1Erik Polyak, executive director of 3.14 Action, which worked to elect Democratic health professionals and scientists, said "2026 was a healthcare election" and claimed the group had flipped at least 10 Republican seats, with the final number in the low 30s; the group is still tallying results in hundreds of state races. 1

Left · 1The Guardian ties the result to years of upheaval at US health and science agencies under Trump and Kennedy, citing a reported loss of up to a third of CDC staff during a record measles outbreak, and says Democrats ran more than 158,000 healthcare ads against 61,000 for Republicans, per the Cook Political Report; 3.14 Action spent $23m on independent ads. 1 Left · 1Richard Besser of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said voters' message was "enough", citing frustration with living costs and the healthcare system. 1 Left · 2Looking ahead, the Guardian says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's most severe cuts, including Medicaid work requirements, take effect on 1 January 2027 and are expected to leave 17 million people without insurance over a decade, while public health groups are already calling for Kennedy's removal; Scientific American notes the current Congress has a record 20 physicians, a figure the next could surpass. 1 2