Nurses Enter the Political Arena: A Growing Presence in Congress

Voters across the country may soon notice familiar faces on their ballots — nurses advocating for change at the federal level.

In the upcoming general election, at least 18 nurses are vying for congressional seats, with 16 running for the U.S. House of Representatives and two competing for the Senate, as reported by the American Nurses Association (ANA).

This group includes several incumbents such as Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-Iowa), a former Army nurse who later earned her medical degree. Other sitting nurse representatives include Lauren Underwood, RN, MSN, MPH (D-Ill.), Sheri Biggs, DNP, FNP (R-S.C.), and Jen Kiggans, AGNP (R-Va.) — all seeking re-election.

The partisan breakdown among the candidates shows 10 Democrats, four Republicans, one Libertarian, one Independent American Party member, and two independents.

A particularly competitive race unfolds in Oklahoma’s Senate contest, where two nurses — Ron Meinhardt, RN, BSN (I) and N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas, LPN (D) — face off not only against each other but also against Republican Kevin Hern and several other contenders in what is considered a strongly GOP stronghold.

While 18 candidates may appear significant, ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, RN, PhD, believes there’s room for growth. “I ask, why not more?” she said during a virtual event attended by media. “We look around and see how many lawyers hold office. Nurses should be equally represented.”

Kennedy emphasized that healthcare struggles directly affect patients’ daily lives. “Our healthcare system keeps deteriorating, and people can’t afford for progress to stall,” she noted. “Nurses witness first-hand the regulatory barriers, accreditation gaps, and systemic flaws — along with the solutions.”

Healthcare affordability remains a central campaign issue this cycle, according to Jacob Garcia, RN, MSN, chair of the Washington State Nurses Association Political Action Committee. Speaking via phone, he explained, “Through a nursing lens applying Maslow’s hierarchy, basic needs like housing and food security aren’t being met. Preventative care often falls through the cracks when insurance becomes unaffordable.”

Garcia described the current state as unsustainable: “Cracks are showing — rural hospitals are closing, large systems are consolidating, and we’re asking staff to do more with less.”

Below is the ANA’s list of nurses running for federal office:

U.S. Senate

Oklahoma: Ron Meinhardt, BSN, RN (I); N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas, LPN (D)

U.S. House of Representatives:

California: Genevieve Angel, RN (R)
Louisiana: Lisa Ballay, LPN (L)
Wisconsin: Mitchell Berman, RN (D)
South Carolina: Sheri Biggs, DNP, FNP (R)
Georgia: Pamela DeLancy, RN (D)
Nevada: Jon Kamerath, LPN (Independent American Party)
Virginia: Jen Kiggans, AGNP (R)
Ohio: Kristina Knickerbocker, RN, MSN (D)
Arizona: Elizabeth Lee, RN (D)
Pennsylvania: Nancy Mannion, RN, DNP (D)
Iowa: Mariannette Miller-Meeks, BSN, MD (R)
North Dakota: Helene Neville, LPN (I)
Alabama: Amanda Pusczek, ADN, BSN (D)
Texas: Steven Shook, RN, MSN (D)
Illinois: Jennifer Todd, BSN, RN (D); Lauren Underwood, RN, MSN, MPH (D) – separate districts

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