The 2020 election results that will impact health and science policy – STAT
WASHINGTON There were a whole host of candidates and issues on the 2020 ballot beyond Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and many of those races will have dramatic implications for health and science policy in America.
Will Democrats keep or even grow their majority in the House? Can they take back enough seats to claim control in the Senate? Health care and science cropped up in several of the congressional races were watching, too, from a House campaign on Long Island to Senate contests in Kansas and North Carolina. Plus, voters in some states were also weighing in on issues like abortion access and marijuana legalization.
Throughout the week, STAT reporters in D.C., Boston, and beyond will keep track of the results that will have the biggest implications for health policy. Check back here for live updates.
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In Floridas 27th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala, the former health secretary during the Clinton administration, lost her seat amid a Republican surge in Miami and its suburbs.
Democrats didnt take advantage of Shalalas health policy expertise during her single term in Congress: She wasnt assigned to any committees with health care jurisdiction, and she didnt play much of a role in Democrats signature health policy initiatives, including H.R. 3, their aggressive drug pricing bill. Still, Shalala was seen as an elder statesperson on health care issues. Shell be succeeded by her Republican challenger, the former television journalist Maria Elvira Salazar.
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Rep. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) defeated his Democratic opponent, Barbara Bollier, in a Senate race hyper-focused on health care. Bollier kept things surprisingly competitive in deep-red Kansas, but fell short despite a campaign focused on issues like Medicaid expansion, surprise billing, and Covid-19.
Marshall is a deeply conservative OB-GYN who becomes the Senates fourth Republican doctor, joining John Barrasso (Wyo.), Bill Cassidy (La.), and Rand Paul (Ky.). He made health care central to his own campaign, and has volunteered at Kansas hospitals helping to treat Covid-19 patients throughout the pandemic. Hes generated controversy, though, for past comments on Medicaid beneficiaries and for his advocacy for physician-owned hospitals. And on health policy, he was a bit of a 2020 anomaly: He campaigned on a pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act a position many Republicans now view as a liability.
Republican Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician, won a Texas panhandle congressional seat Tuesday to represent one of the most conservative districts in the country.
Jackson became White House physician under former President Obama, but rose to national prominence when he said President Trump has incredible genes, I just assume during a 2018 press briefing about the presidents health. Trump then nominated Jackson to serve as Veterans Affairs secretary, but Jackson withdrew from the process amid allegations about his management of the White House medical unit and about his personal and professional conduct.
Jackson won the Republican primary for the congressional seat in part by aligning himself closely with Trump.
States around the country eased drug laws on Tuesday, with a handful legalizing different forms of marijuana and some jurisdictions taking the first steps to decriminalize possession of other drugs.
Voters in New Jersey, Montana, and Arizona opted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for people 21 and over, joining the dozen other states that have embraced the policy (and typically tax marijuana sales) despite it remaining illegal at the federal level. In Mississippi, voters approved a medical marijuana program. And in South Dakota, voters approved separate ballot measures that will legalize recreational and medical marijuana.
Residents in Oregon voted to legalize psilocybin, the active compound in certain hallucinogenic mushrooms, for use in mental health treatments. The state also voted to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs, including cocaine and heroin, while greenlighting new funding for addiction treatment and harm reduction programs. And in the District of Columbia, residents approved a measure to decriminalize the possession of some psychedelic plants, including magic mushrooms.
Days before the Supreme Court will decide whether or not it will take up a case that could far more strictly limit abortion, voters in Louisiana have decided to specifically prevent the states constitution from being used to mount challenges to abortion restrictions in the future.
Voters in Colorado, however, decided against barring abortions after 22 gestational weeks; the state is one of the few where people who need the procedure done during their third trimester of pregnancy can find physicians who are willing to provide it.
Voters in Oregon and Colorado both voted resoundingly to establish new taxes on vapor products like Juul. The initiatives in both states would also drastically increase existing taxes on cigarettes and other smokable tobacco products.
Voters in Oklahoma also rejected an initiative that would have diverted tens of millions from the states tobacco trust fund to fund expansion of the states Medicaid program. The initiative was opposed by tobacco control advocates including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Cameron Webb, a physician running as a Democrat in Virginias 5th Congressional District, conceded his race early Wednesday to Bob Good, a Republican. Webb ran a health care-focused campaign in the largely rural district, but didnt endorse Medicare for All, a hallmark of many more progressive Democrats 2020 campaigns. Had Webb won, he would have become the first Black doctor to serve in Congress (other than non-voting delegates).
Democratic upstart Quinn Nystrom was unsuccessful in her bid to unseat Republican Rep. Pete Stauber in Minnesotas 8th District.
Nystroms race, which was laser-focused on the issue of high drug prices, did not attract the national attention of other drug pricing-heavy races, like the effort to unseat Republican Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina, which is still too close to call. But Nystroms defeat is an early, albeit small, sign that drug pricing was not the animating issue activists had hoped it would be this election cycle.
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The 2020 election results that will impact health and science policy - STAT
- Senator Rand Paul announces new organization to focus on Eastern Kentucky tourism - WOWK 13 News - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Rand Paul COVID vaccine theories aren't helping to bridge public health divide | Opinion - Yahoo - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Rand Paul COVID vaccine theories aren't helping to bridge public health divide | Opinion - The Courier-Journal - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Press Release: Rand Paul Proposes Amendment to Terminate Federal Reserve's Assistance to Major Banks in 2026 NDAA - Quiver Quantitative - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Republican Sen. Rand Paul Set To Cosponsor Initiative To Prevent Trump Admin From Striking Boats In The Caribbean - Latin Times - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Press Release: Chairman Rand Paul Introduces Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025 - Quiver Quantitative - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Article | Rand Paul blocks Senate extension of cyber information sharing law - POLITICO Pro - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- There has to be someone who 'believes debt is a problem,' says Sen. Rand Paul - Fox Business - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul weighs in on government shutdown, believes it will be 'short lived' - Yahoo - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Press Release: Senator Rand Paul Releases Report on TSA's Targeting of Veterans and Lawmakers - Quiver Quantitative - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul: Bidens TSA Targeted Veterans, Lawmakers, Mask Critics, and Air Marshals Wife - The Daily Signal - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Rand Paul Slams GOP Funding Bill on Fox News Warns It Will Wipe Out DOGE Cuts - Yahoo - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul appears on 'Face the Nation' on CBS - WLKY - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul says he would "prefer not to have troops" in Portland, but supports Trump's action - CBS News - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Transcript: Sen. Rand Paul on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Sept. 28, 2025 - Yahoo - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Targeted by Trump, Rep. Thomas Massie teams up with Rand Paul for district tour - Louisville Public Media - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Trump-targeted GOP congressman Massie tours his Kentucky district with support from Sen. Rand Paul - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Rand Paul quips Kimmels thanks is first time Ive ever been on his program - Kentucky Lantern - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. Thomas Massie host forums with Northern Kentucky voters - WLWT - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- He is so bad hes lost Rand Paul and Ted Cruz: Nicolle Wallace on Trumps crackdown on free speech - MSNBC News - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Rand Paul calls NKY a bastion of conservatism at Thomas Massie Rally - LINK nky - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Rep. Thomas Massie tours district with Sen. Rand Paul - Spectrum News - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Rand Paul and Ted Cruz: The FCCs phony right-wing critics - Salon.com - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Rand Paul quips Kimmels thanks is first time Ive ever been on his program - somerset-kentucky.com - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Rand Paul vows to protect free speech but says theres no right to employment - Kentucky Lantern - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- GOPs Rand Paul Says He Will Fight FCC Meddling in Free Speech - Bloomberg - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Rand Paul vows to protect free speech but says theres no right to employment - The Paducah Sun - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- New Bill: Senator Rand Paul introduces S. 2769: Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025 - Quiver Quantitative - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul rips FCC chair Brendan Carr over Jimmy Kimmel threat: No business weighing in on this - New York Post - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- RAND PAUL BLASTS FCC OVER KIMMEL SUSPENSION: ABSOLUTELY INAPPROPRIATE Sen. Rand Paul is torching FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Carr appeared to pressure... - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul discusses wide range of topics on NBC's 'Meet the Press' - WLKY - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Rand Paul's last-minute demands push key cybersecurity law to the brink - Axios - September 21st, 2025 [September 21st, 2025]
- You have your time, Bernie: Rand Paul and Sanders in Senate dustup over letting RFK-fired CDC chief answer - Yahoo - September 21st, 2025 [September 21st, 2025]
- Senator Rand Paul speaks on looming government shutdown - Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW) - September 21st, 2025 [September 21st, 2025]
- Rand Paul clashes with Bernie Sanders, former CDC director over vaccinating infants - Fox News - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO, SEN. RAND PAUL AND MEL ROBBINS THIS SUNDAY ON MEET THE PRESS WITH KRISTEN WELKER - NBCUniversal News... - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- You have your time, Bernie: Rand Paul and Sanders in Senate dustup over letting RFK-fired CDC chief answer - The Independent - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- Senator Rand Paul speaks on political temperature in Washington - Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW) - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- Rand Paul blocks Trumps nominee for State Department Middle East post - Washington Times - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- New Bill: Senator Rand Paul introduces S. 2733: Duplication Scoring Act of 2025 - Quiver Quantitative - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Six Penny Plan to Balance the Federal Budget in Five Years - Senator Rand Paul (.gov) - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul on a variety of issues affecting Kentucky and the country - Spectrum News 1 - September 13th, 2025 [September 13th, 2025]
- Fauci told email recipients to delete them after reading: Rand Paul - NewsNation - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Gerth: Rand Paul opposition to military action may show Trump fever is breaking | Opinion - The Courier-Journal - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Rand Paul Forced to Explain to JD Vance That Abitrary Killing Is Bad - The New Republic - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Rand Paul is the chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee - Spectrum News - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Rand Paul has been serving as junior United States senator from Ky since 2011 - Spectrum News - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Rand Paul splits from GOP as US Senate votes down forcing release of Epstein files - somerset-kentucky.com - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- SEN RAND PAUL: The GOP once knew how to fix the deficit now theyre losing the battle - Fox News - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- The government has been misleading us for years, argues Sen. Rand Paul - Fox News - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Fauci ordered deletion of emails relevant to COVID-19 origins, Rand Paul alleges - Washington Examiner - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Rand Paul Calls Out JD 'I Don't Give A Sh*t' Vance For Bombing Stance - Yahoo News New Zealand - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Rand Paul rips JD Vance's assertion that executing cartel members is the 'best use of our military' - Fox News - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Vance post on boat strike really ticked me off, Rand Paul says - Politico - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Rand Paul clashes with JD Vance over US strike on boat leaving Venezuela - Politico - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- The GOPs Elizabeth Warren: Vance happy to feud with Rand Paul - Politico - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Rand Paul speaks the truth - Forward Kentucky - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Senator Rand Paul warns tariff price increases are coming soon - LEX18 - September 6th, 2025 [September 6th, 2025]
- Former CDC official calls Sen. Rand Paul a bigoted bully in response to criticism - CNN - September 6th, 2025 [September 6th, 2025]
- Rand Paul Slams Trump For Unilateral Strike On Suspected Drug Vessel: 'Where Does It End?' - HuffPost - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- Rand Paul called out after saying gay CDC officials lifestyle disqualified him from government - The Independent - September 3rd, 2025 [September 3rd, 2025]
- Homophobe Rand Paul says gay CDC official's 'lifestyle' made him unfit to be in government - Advocate.com - September 3rd, 2025 [September 3rd, 2025]
- Rand Paul called out after saying gay CDC officials lifestyle disqualified him from government - inkl - September 3rd, 2025 [September 3rd, 2025]
- Why Rand Paul says Kentucky bourbon business will continue to suffer with 'triple whammy' - The Courier-Journal - August 27th, 2025 [August 27th, 2025]
- Rand Paul will be Kentucky's next senior senator. What that means for the commonwealth - The Courier-Journal - August 27th, 2025 [August 27th, 2025]
- Rand Paul sounds alarm over Trump Admin buying 10% Intel stake | RISING - The Hill - August 26th, 2025 [August 26th, 2025]
- Article | Rand Paul disses Trumps plan for a government stake in Intel - POLITICO Pro - August 26th, 2025 [August 26th, 2025]
- Rand Paul will be Kentucky's next senior senator. What that means for the commonwealth - thegleaner.com - August 26th, 2025 [August 26th, 2025]
- Net Worth Update: Senator Rand Paul Made an Estimated $385.0K in the Stock Market Last Month - Quiver Quantitative - August 24th, 2025 [August 24th, 2025]
- Rand Paul Is Working To 'Reach A Compromise' On Hemp THC Product Laws With McConnell And House Lawmakers - Marijuana Moment - August 9th, 2025 [August 9th, 2025]
- Rand Paul warns against retaliatory tariffs: 'It's fighting words when you come after Kentucky bourbon' - Fox Business - August 7th, 2025 [August 7th, 2025]
- Rand Paul says we 'aren't going to know' the motive of Trump's would-be assassin - AOL.com - August 3rd, 2025 [August 3rd, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul discusses the prospect of abolishing the Federal Reserve - Fox News - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- 'Absolutely insane': Rand Paul raises alarm by 'casually' suggesting Trump third term - rawstory.com - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Rand Paul lost to Trump's bill, but still came out on top for July | Opinion - The Courier-Journal - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul on 'The Pelosi Act': Future presidents wouldn't be able to own things - Fox Business - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul weighs in on tariffs, FEMA reform amid looming deadline - WTVQ - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Sen. Rand Paul: The market should set the interest rates - Fox News - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- Rand Paul pandemic research bill breezes through Senate homeland security committee - Washington Examiner - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- SEN RAND PAUL: There are $186 billion reasons why we must audit the Fed - Fox Business - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]