Over 60 Doctors Expressed Interest In Guardians of Public Health Within First Three Days

March 04, 2025

(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Last week, 314 Action announced “Guardians of Public Health,” a new campaign to elect 100 new doctors to office by 2030. Joined by Hawaii Governor Doctor Josh Green, the organization plans to raise and spend over $25 million on the initiative.

“Guardians of Public Health may be our most ambitious recruitment effort yet, but we’re already seeing an incredible response to the launch,” said Shaughnessy Naughton, President and Co-Founder of 314 Action. “Within the first three days, we’ve already had over 60 doctors and medical professionals sign up and express interest in running for office. From the State House to the White House, we need their voices now more than ever. It’s clear that doctors are ready to take action—and we are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work supporting their campaigns.”  

There are currently 27 Democratic physicians serving in state legislatures, six in the U.S. Congress, and one Governor. Doctors interested in running for office can sign up here to be connected with 314 Action.


Washington Post:
Democrats launch effort to get 100 doctors into elected office


Dan Diamond
02/28/25

Key sections:

A liberal advocacy group is launching a planned $25 million campaign to elect 100 new physicians to office by 2030, arguing that Democratic doctors must step forward to combat rising pressure on public health institutions and initiatives.


Leaders of 314 Action, which has worked to elect several physicians such as Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Washington), say they plan to recruit and support dozens of doctors in upcoming bids for statehouses, federal office, governorships — and potentially the White House.


The group’s campaign, dubbed “Guardians of Public Health,” comes after all four GOP physicians in the Senate voted for longtime anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as the nation’s health secretary and amid the Trump administration’s efforts to unwind an array of public health initiatives.


“Our goal is to find 100 excellent thought leaders on health care and science and see if they will serve in office,” said Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, who is the only Democratic physician currently leading a state and is co-chairing 314 Action’s new campaign. “If we’d have had physicians, nurses, social workers with a public background in greater numbers this year, we would have chosen a different HHS secretary.”


314 Action leaders say that the GOP has wrongly claimed the mantle of science and that their new campaign will work to wrest it back. The group — which takes its name from pi or π, the mathematical constant that is equivalent to 3.14 — backed Democratic doctors, such as freshmen Reps. Herb Conaway (New Jersey), Maxine Dexter (Oregon) and Kelly Morrison (Minnesota) in their successful campaigns last


“We’re very good at electing doctors,” said Josh Morrow, the group’s executive director, saying that the upcoming initiative would draw on lessons from past campaigns, such as highlighting the trust that many voters express for their personal physicians. Morrow said funding for 314 Action’s upcoming campaign would come mostly from grassroots support.


In an interview, Schrier credited 314 Action with helping her initial campaign for Congress.


“I had no idea what it would mean to run for office, what you need to do, where do you start,” she said, praising 314 Action and other groups for helping answer those questions and provide “the initial hand-holding.” She also said the goal of electing dozens of additional Democratic doctors is “absolutely achievable,” citing her colleagues’ recent victories.

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