Democratic doctors, nurses aim to flip Congress seats with a focus on healthcare

Key Points:

• Mitchell Berman, an emergency room nurse in Wisconsin, is running as a Democrat to unseat GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, focusing on reducing healthcare costs and addressing patients' struggles with medical bills.
• A growing number of medical professionals, particularly Democrats, are running for Congress in 2026, aiming to leverage their healthcare experience to influence policy, amid ongoing public health challenges like measles outbreaks.
• Democrats criticize the 2025 budget reconciliation bill for cutting Medicaid funding, arguing it threatens vulnerable populations, while Republicans defend the bill as necessary for reducing waste and increasing federal Medicaid funds to states like Wisconsin.
• In South Carolina, Democratic pediatrician Dr. Annie Andrews highlights Medicaid's crucial role in healthcare, facing opposition from GOP Sen. Darline Graham, who supports the tax legislation and has launched a campaign portraying Andrews as too liberal.
• Health concerns and public health crises remain central campaign issues, with candidates like California pediatrician Richard Pan emphasizing disease prevention, while incumbents like Rep. Kevin Kiley defend their records on lowering healthcare costs.