From News Dispatches
Westfield, NJ: Dr. Tina Shah, a nationally recognized intensive care physician and former White House advisor, has launched her campaign for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th District. A Democrat from Westfield, Shah is aiming to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in one of the nation’s most competitive congressional races.
Announcing her candidacy on July 1, Shah emphasized the urgent need to fix what she sees as a broken healthcare system. “America is in critical condition, and enough is enough,” she declared. “When I go to work in the ICU, I face a system that makes patients sicker and broke, prioritizes insurance profits over lives, and burns out the workforce trying to save them.” A triple board-certified physician in internal medicine, pulmonology, and critical care, Shah practices at RWJ Barnabas Health and is often seen on national media as a healthcare expert.
Her campaign centers on reshaping a healthcare system she says fails both patients and providers. Shah accused Rep. Kean of enabling the crisis by voting to gut Medicaid and supporting policies that restrict reproductive healthcare. “He’s a career politician who dodges constituents while voting to strip away essential care,” she said, also criticizing his support for figures like Donald Trump and RFK Jr., whom she accused of undermining public health and medical research.
Shah’s message is one of science-driven leadership and direct accountability. Her decision to run, she says, was prompted by the devastating stories she encounters daily. One such moment involved a homeless patient with a life-threatening spinal cord infection—an example, she said, of how systemic failure impacts the most vulnerable. “It’s hitting home very hard for me,” she added. “No one deserves to go into debt just to survive.”
A New Jersey native, Shah’s career spans medicine, policy, and innovation. Under President Obama, she served as a White House Fellow and special advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. During the Biden administration, she advised U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, spearheading national strategies to combat clinician burnout in the wake of COVID-19. In the private sector, she worked as Chief Medical Officer at a health tech firm focused on reducing bureaucratic obstacles for doctors and nurses.
Shah has assembled a veteran campaign team, including strategist Mollie Binotto, who helped flip New Jersey’s 11th District in 2018, and campaign manager Rachel Berlowe, an experienced political organizer. With the race rated as a toss-up by major election analysts, Democrats view Kean’s seat as vulnerable in 2026, particularly after the district swung narrowly to Donald Trump in 2024 despite backing Joe Biden in 2020.
Shah joins a crowded Democratic primary field that includes a Navy veteran, a former Biden official, a local councilman, and a businessman. But she’s confident her frontline experience and policy expertise set her apart. “I’m a doctor. I’ve seen what’s broken. And I’m ready to prosecute the case against Tom Kean Jr.,” she said. “People know I can win—and I will.”
