Democrat Physician-Candidates Challenge GOP Opponents On Health Care Cuts

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – As health care takes center stage in the 2026 midterms, three Indian American physicians are stepping into the political arena, running for Congress with a message: protect Medicaid.

Currently, there are more Republican physicians in Congress. Nearly all of them supported Trump’s recent budget reconciliation measure that includes major Medicaid reductions.

Dr. Amish Shah in Arizona, Dr. Jasmeet Bains in California, and Dr. Tina Shah in New Jersey are among a growing wave of Democratic doctors challenging Republican incumbents. Each is highlighting their frontline medical experience to counter the GOP’s proposed Medicaid cuts, which the Congressional Budget Office warns could leave up to 10 million Americans uninsured.

Amish Shah, an emergency physician in Phoenix, is preparing to take on Rep. David Schweikert. He has framed his campaign around the daily reality of treating patients who rely on Medicaid and often struggle to afford care.

In California’s Central Valley, family physician Jasmeet Bains is challenging Rep. David Valadao, a Republican she argues has consistently backed policies that slash health care funding despite representing one of the nation’s most medically underserved regions.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey’s 7th District, Dr. Tina Shah who is running against Rep. Tom Kean Jr., and previously served in both the Obama and Biden administrations as an adviser on physician well-being, says her candidacy reflects frustration from doctors who see patients denied coverage for critical services.

Representative Ami Bera of California, the longest-serving Indian American in Congress and a physician, underscored the stakes in voting against what Democrats call President Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill.” He warned that the legislation would worsen health disparities by forcing families to delay care, driving up hospital costs, and stripping coverage from nearly 17 million Americans — including more than 2 million Californians. Bera argued the Medicaid cuts would undo years of progress, endanger vulnerable populations, and ultimately weaken both the health system and the economy.