There will be doctors in the House, and a few in the Senate: Election 2022

More than a dozen physicians will be serving in the new Congress next year.

And that’s even after Mehmet Oz lost a Senate race in Pennsylvania to John Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor. Fetterman earned a close win over Oz in the most expensive Senate contest in the country, with the campaigns and outside groups spending more than $370 million, according to Open Secrets, which tracks money in politics.

The Oz-Fetterman campaign commanded national attention, but other races featured physicians. Most incumbent physicians held onto their seats, but a few races are still being counted. And a couple of doctors fell short in their bids for Congress.

Here’s a rundown of doctors who will be part of the new Congress in January, and physicians who are leading in a couple of races where votes are still being tallied.

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House

Rich McCormick, an emergency room physician and a Republican, was elected in Georgia’s 6th District, defeating Democrat Bob Christian. McCormick will begin his first term in Congress.

Rep. Larry Buschon, an Indiana Republican, won a seventh term in the House. A heart surgeon, Buschon defeated Democratic nominee Ray McCormick. Buschon is a co-sponsor of a bill that would impose tougher penalties on those who attack hospital employees.

Rep. Michael Burgess, a Texas Republican, was re-elected in the 26th District. He easily overcame a challenge from Libertarian Mike Kolls. Burgess, who will begin his 11th term next year, is the longest-serving doctor in the House.

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a Tennessee Republican, won a seventh term to the House, defeating Democrat Wayne Steele.

Rep. Neal Dunn, a Florida Republican, defeated Democratic Rep. Al Lawson in a battle of two incumbents. They were pitted against each other due to congressional redistricting. Dunn, a surgeon, won handily to secure a fourth term.

Rep. Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Odessa Kelly. Green, an emergency physician and surgeon, will begin his third term in the House.

Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican, cruised Democratic challenger Heather Mizeur. A doctor who specialized in obstetric anesthesiology, Harris will start his seventh term in the House.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Texas Republican, easily defeated Democratic challenger Kathleen Brown, garnering 75% of the vote. Jackson served as Physician to the President under Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Rep. John Joyce, a Pennsylvania Republican, won a third term to the House. He ran without opposition in the general election. Joyce was one of several Pennsylvania lawmakers to object to certifying the state’s electoral votes in the 2020 election.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, an Iowa Republican, won in a competitive contest with Democrat Christina Bohannon. An ophthalmologist who formerly ran the Iowa Department of Health, Miller-Meeks will begin a second term.

Rep. Greg Murphy, a North Carolina Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Barbara Gaskins. A urologist, Murphy will begin his second full term; he won a special election in 2019.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, a California Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Brian Hawkins, the Associated Press projected Wednesday afternoon. Ruiz is an emergency medicine physician who has served five terms.

Rep. Ami Bera, a California Democrat, leads Republican challenger Tamika Hamilton, but many votes are being counted. Bera has served five terms. California mailed ballots to voters, and results could take days.

Rep. Kim Schrier, a Democrat from Washington state and a pediatrician, holds a lead over Republican challenger Matt Larkin for a seat representing Seattle’s suburbs. But the race is competitive and many votes haven’t been tabulated. All ballots in Washington are cast by mail and may still be arriving for days.

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Senate

Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, won a third term to the Senate. An ophthalmologist and frequent critic of Anthony Fauci, Paul comfortably turned back a challenge from Democrat Charles Booker.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, is in the midst of his second term. He was just re-elected in 2000 and wasn’t on the ballot this year.

Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, is in the midst of his first term. An obstetrician, Marshall was elected in 2020 and wasn’t on the ballot this year.

Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican, is in the midst of his third full term. He was elected in 2018 and wasn’t on the ballot.

Falling short

Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, unsuccessfully challenged Republican Nancy Mace of South Carolina. Andrews is a professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Democrat Bob Lorinser, a physician, lost in his bed to unseat Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan. A family physician, Lorinser also served as the medical director of the Marquette County Health Department.