SOUTH CAROLINA — Andrews has practiced as a pediatrician for 20 years and entered the race after witnessing the challenges her patients faced. She was endorsed by 314 Action, a political action fund devoted to electing scientists and doctors to public office.

"Running for office was not something I ever, in a million years, thought I would be doing with my life," Annie Andrews said. The pediatrician noted that she was 4 years old when she told her preschool teacher she would become a doctor.

Andrews explained her shift from medicine to politics as a response to systemic issues affecting families. "It became clear to me that the most effective and efficient way to solve the problems my patients and their families were facing was through politics, by changing who actually has the power, by electing people who inherently care about America’s children, she said."

The campaign occurs as measles has spread through South Carolina, showing public health concerns in the state. Andrews emphasized the need for medical expertise in government during this period. I don’t think there’s ever been a more important time to elect scientists and medical doctors to all levels of our government," Andrews said."

314 Action set a goal to elect at least 100 doctors to state and federal office by 2030. The organization had an initial fundraising target of $25 million and reached that target in August. Shaughnessy Naughton is the president of 314 Action.

Josh Green is the governor of Hawaii and an emergency physician. He is the only doctor-governor in the United States. Green supported the push for more medical professionals in leadership roles.

"We want to create a bench of people who are better-qualified and could be appointed to positions like these," Josh Green said. He also noted the stakes of ignoring scientific guidance. "The hard truth of it is, people are going to die if we don’t follow science," Green said.

Six of the physicians currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives are Democrats. There are no Democratic doctors currently serving in the U.S. Senate. Rand Paul is a physician and a member of Congress.

Why It Matters

The South Carolina Senate race represents a test for efforts to increase the number of medical professionals in elected office. With no Democratic doctors currently serving in the U.S. Senate, Andrews’ campaign aligns with the goals of organizations like 314 Action, which seeks to elect 100 doctors to state and federal office by 2030. The spread of measles in South Carolina reflects the immediate relevance of public health expertise in legislative decision-making.

The election also follows a political transition after the death of Senator Lindsey Graham. Donald Trump’s influence in selecting Darline Graham as the Republican candidate demonstrates the continued impact of former President Trump on GOP primaries. The outcome will determine whether a pediatrician or the late senator’s sister will represent South Carolina in Washington.

Timeline

On November 6, 2018, nearly 200 candidates with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ran for House and Senate seats in the 2018 midterm elections.

On November 3, 2020, Barbara Bollier ran for the U.S. Senate in Kansas. Bollier received more votes than any Democrat in the history of Kansas during her 2020 Senate campaign.

What's New

Research titled "Newlands, Hon. Sir John, (4 Aug. 1864–20 May 1932), Senator, South Australia, since 1913; President of the Senate 1926–29; Chairman of Committees of Senate 1923–26" was published in 2007 in Who Was Who. Research titled The Filibuster and the Trump Senate was published in 2024 in Disruption?. Action is film genre.