What happened
In Oklahoma, two nurses ran for the Senate but lost: N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas (D) and Ron Meinhardt (I). No nurse has ever served in the U.S. Senate. At the federal level, four nurses will serve in Congress, including two new members, Mitchell Berman (D-Wis.) and Kristina Knickerbocker (D-Ohio), who won Republican-held seats. Nurses running for state legislatures had mixed results, with at least 65 of 140 winning and 42 losing.
What nurses may want to check
- State legislative races: Review results for nurses who won or lost seats, as they may shape local healthcare policies.
- Senate and governor races: Monitor outcomes in Alaska, Kansas, and other close races, as they could influence federal and state nursing regulations.
- Nursing-related bills: Track commitments by elected officials on issues like safe staffing ratios and nurse education funding.
Key facts from the source
- “Of the 140 nurses on state legislative ballots, at least 65 won and 42 lost, with 33 races not yet called.”
- “In the 20 close Senate and governor races we tracked, Democrats won 16 of the 17 that have been called, and Republicans won one, Florida’s governor’s race.”
- “The change also affects at least one nursing bill: the Educating Future Nurses Act… will lose its only Republican original cosponsor when Kiggans leaves the House in January.”
- “Both nurses who ran for the Senate were on the same ballot in Oklahoma and lost: N’Kiyla Thomas (D) and Ron Meinhardt (I).”
- “We have found no record of a nurse ever serving in the U.S. Senate.”
- “Results are AP race calls, except AZ-05, which was called by Decision Desk HQ; AP had not called it as of 10:44 a.m. ET on November 6.”
Informational only; not legal advice. AI-assisted draft reviewed by a human.
Nurses on the 2026 Ballot: Who Won, Who Lost, and Which Races Are Still Uncalled | Nurse.org
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