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At least 18 nurses are running for Congress in the upcoming general election, according to figures compiled by the American Nurses Association. The group includes 16 House candidates and two Senate candidates; four are incumbent House members seeking re-election. The candidates’ party affiliations vary, and election outcomes remain unknown.
At least 18 nurses are running for Congress in the upcoming general election, including 16 House candidates and two Senate candidates, according to figures compiled by the American Nurses Association. Four of the House candidates are incumbents seeking re-election, putting nurses with clinical experience on ballots across multiple states as campaigns address healthcare and affordability.
The ANA’s count includes candidates from a range of parties: 10 Democrats, four Republicans, one Libertarian, one Independent American Party candidate and two independents. The association’s list covers races in states including California, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. It does not establish that all candidates have the same healthcare policies or campaign priorities.
Four incumbent House members in the count are seeking another term: Lauren Underwood of Illinois, Sheri Biggs of South Carolina, Jen Kiggans of Virginia and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa. Miller-Meeks served six years as an Army nurse before becoming a physician, according to the report. The ANA list identifies her among the nurses running, alongside candidates whose professional credentials include registered nurse, licensed practical nurse and advanced practice roles.
In Oklahoma’s Senate race, two nurses are running against each other: independent Ron Meinhardt, a registered nurse, and Democrat N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas, a licensed practical nurse. They are also competing against Republican Kevin Hern and three other candidates. The report describes the race as being in a district considered solidly Republican; that characterization is not an election result, and the candidates’ prospects remain uncertain.
Nursing Experience Enters Federal Races
The candidate count brings healthcare workers’ professional backgrounds into races where healthcare is also part of broader debates about household costs. Nurses may draw on direct experience with patients and health services, but their credentials alone do not indicate how they would vote or whether they would succeed in office.
Jacob Garcia, a registered nurse and chair of the Washington State Nurses Association Political Action Committee, told MedPage Today that campaigns are discussing healthcare alongside affordability. He said some people facing pressure to meet basic needs may be less able to pay for insurance or preventive care. That is his assessment of current pressures, not a measurement of how many voters will make those choices.
The candidacies also show a range of political affiliations, rather than a single nursing position. If elected, the candidates would join a Congress that makes decisions affecting healthcare policy and funding; for now, the immediate significance is that voters in several states can choose candidates who have worked in nursing.
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Who the ANA Counts as a Nurse
The figure of 18 candidates comes from an ANA compilation cited by MedPage Today. It includes Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who is both a physician and a former Army nurse, as well as candidates with nursing credentials across different levels of practice. The count is specific to candidates for federal office in this election cycle, not a measure of all nurses seeking elected office nationwide or at state and local levels.
ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy said in an online interview that she would like to see more nurses in elected office. She compared the number with lawyers serving in government and argued that nurses encounter healthcare system problems directly. Her comments express the association president’s view; they do not amount to an endorsement of every candidate on the list.
The candidate roster spans both chambers of Congress. The Senate candidates listed are both in Oklahoma, while the House candidates are spread across multiple states and districts. Illinois has two House candidates on the ANA list, Underwood and Jennifer Todd, who are running in separate districts.
“I say, why not more? Look at the number of lawyers in office. We should have more nurses.”
— Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association
Election Results and Policy Positions
The ANA’s count describes who is running, not who will win. Election results are not yet known, and the source material does not provide polling, fundraising totals, or district-by-district assessments beyond its description of the Oklahoma district as solidly Republican.
The candidates’ nursing backgrounds also do not establish their positions on specific legislation. The available report does not provide a full comparison of their platforms, healthcare proposals, or plans for other policy areas. It is also not clear from the supplied information whether the ANA’s count will change as the election approaches.
Voters Decide the Congressional Races
The next major development is the upcoming general election, when voters in each listed district and state will decide which candidates advance to Congress. Results will show whether any of the challengers win and whether the four incumbent nurses retain their House seats.
As campaigns continue, candidates may provide more detail on healthcare, insurance costs and other issues. The ANA count offers a snapshot of the current field; election outcomes and the eventual number of nurses in the next Congress will depend on the votes cast in each race.
Key Questions
How many nurses are running for Congress?
The American Nurses Association counted at least 18: 16 candidates for the House and two for the Senate.
Which nurses in the count are incumbents?
The four incumbent House members seeking re-election are Lauren Underwood, Sheri Biggs, Jen Kiggans and Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
Where are the two nurse Senate candidates running?
Both are running in Oklahoma. Independent registered nurse Ron Meinhardt and Democratic licensed practical nurse N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas are among the candidates in the race.
Does the ANA count show which candidates will win?
No. The figure identifies candidates, not election outcomes. Results remain unknown until voters cast ballots and the votes are counted.
Source: rss
