They Worked To Protect Public Health. Now They Want the Public’s Votes.

A wave of former public health officials, all Democrats, are seeking statewide office this fall, testing whether their experience during the pandemic will resonate with voters. KFF Health News reports the timing is notable: these officials are running as the Trump administration cuts scientific research funding, restricts vaccine access, and reduces subsidies for health insurance. Xavier Becerra, who served as HHS secretary under President Biden, won California's Democratic primary for governor. Amy Acton, who ran Ohio's health department during the early pandemic, is running for Ohio's governorship. And Abdul El-Sayed, who led health departments in Detroit and Wayne County, is competing in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary on August fourth. According to political scientists, these candidates benefited from name recognition built during COVID briefings that many Americans watched closely. However, that recognition cuts both ways — while some praised their steady guidance, others criticized them for pandemic measures like school closures and mask mandates, attacks that have intensified under the Trump administration.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton