This Week's News

Medicine-friendly candidates perform well at the polls; AMPAC gives boost

More than a dozen physicians and other friends of medicine won election this month, thanks in part to vigorous support from AMPAC, the bipartisan political action committee of the AMA.

The 113th Congress will have 17 physicians in the U.S. House of Representatives, three physicians in the U.S. Senate and many more medicine-friendly members in both houses. A total of 353 candidates for public office who were supported by AMPAC won election or re-election this year. That's 94 percent of candidates backed by this important group.

AMPAC spent more than $3.1 million this election year in promoting campaigns of candidates who will fight for physicians and patients during their time in public office.

The group sent more than 25 million messages to targeted voters and those in key demographics, and its work advanced debate on such issues as preserving Medicare, easing the bureaucratic burden on physicians and expanding access to coverage. (Watch the video below to learn more.)

Also this year, at least 13 graduates of AMPAC political education programs won state and federal elections. Open to AMA members and their spouses, the programs provide hands-on training in running for office and working on a campaign.

Anesthesiologist Steve Dickerson, MD, won a seat in the Tennessee Senate Nov. 6, after attending the AMPAC Candidate Workshop in 2007.

"The AMPAC program helped immeasurably," he said. "While I had always had an interest in politics, I had never been exposed to the nuts and bolts in any manner. The program gave me an overview and provided the foundation for what I learned subsequently."

The 2013 AMPAC Candidate Workshop will take place Feb. 15–17 in Arlington, Va. All expenses for accepted applicants will be covered, excluding travel—an excellent value for AMA membership. Apply today.

At the workshop, political veterans will share their advice about politics and explain the sacrifices required to run a competitive campaign. Attendees also will learn the secrets of effective fundraising, how to become a better public speaker and how to handle campaign crises, among other skills.

Steve Bergquist attended the 2012 AMPAC Candidate Workshop with his wife Avanti Bergquist, MD, and won a seat in Washington state's House of Representatives this year.

"The AMPAC Candidate Workshop helped me understand the areas where I already excelled and where I would really need to focus more attention," he said. "I had no idea what truly went into a campaign, and the workshop prepped my spouse and me for the incredible commitment that winning a campaign would require."

AMA members and their spouses also can apply for the 2013 AMPAC Campaign School, which will take place April 17–21 in Arlington, Va.