Scientists Back Democratic Candidates with Big Money Boost

A new political group has just raised a record $12 million for the 2026 midterm elections, aiming to support Democratic candidates who have science or medical backgrounds. The money is split between advertising and direct aid to hopefuls such as Ohio’s gubernatorial contender Amy Acton and South Carolina’s Senate candidate Annie Andrews. Both women have built their campaigns around health care and science, with Acton promising to tackle medical debt in Ohio and Andrews reacting to vaccine‑related comments from a former Health Secretary. The fund spent $8 million on media and digital outreach, while the remaining $4 million went straight to the candidates. This spending total is almost as high as what was spent in the 2023‑24 cycle, which came to $13. 79 million according to a public database.

Opposing them is the Republican “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which has pushed candidates like farmer Zach Lahn in Iowa’s GOP primary. Democratic leaders have urged the party to win over voters who were attracted by that movement’s focus on vaccines and health policy. Since 2017, the science‑oriented group has worked to train candidates who can speak directly about health and scientific issues. They claim their strategy has helped elect Democratic senators such as Mark Kelly, Alex Padilla and Chris Coons. The organization’s statement says their investments have proven that doctor‑scientists can win in the toughest races. The plan is to keep building a “new generation” of candidates who can counter Republican messages about health policy and bring science‑based solutions to the table.

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