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was originally reported by Barbara Rodriguez of . .

In mid-December, Dr. Annie Andrews turned on her camera to record. The pediatrician 鈥� among a growing cohort of medical professionals who use social media to break down health care news and misinformation 鈥� had a public service announcement.

鈥淎s the entire country is aware, we have a measles outbreak in the upstate of South Carolina,鈥� Andrews said. At the time, there had been of the highly contagious disease in the state, where she and her three school-aged children reside.

Andrews noted that the vaccine available to prevent measles 鈥� known as the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine 鈥� . She offered practical advice for adults who might want to check if their measles immunity had waned. And she cautioned people to be extra mindful amid holiday travel.

鈥淧lease stay home if you have a fever, stay home if you have obvious cold symptoms like a cough and a runny nose,鈥� she said. 鈥淐ertainly stay home if you have a rash along with that fever. Protect your loved ones and do what you can to stop the spread of measles here in South Carolina and in the other parts of the country where it is currently spreading.鈥�

Her video ended with an image promoting her campaign for the U.S. Senate.

鈥淚 never in a million years, when I was in medical school, thought that I would be running for the U.S. Senate and also talking about measles nearly every single day,鈥� Andrews told The 19th.

A growing measles outbreak 鈥� since start of the year, in the United States, with South Carolina being the epicenter 鈥� has become a cornerstone of Andrews鈥� messaging for her , which she balances while working at a children鈥檚 hospital and parenting.

And Andrews suspects that mothers are paying close attention to her campaign. She calls mothers of school-aged children her most loyal base of supporters. They leave positive messages on social media, stop her after campaign events and while she鈥檚 shopping at the grocery store.

鈥淎s we see our children under constant threats 鈥� whether it鈥檚 from or now sort of the politicization of HHS and vaccine recommendations 鈥� moms have had enough and they鈥檙e fighting back,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think I鈥檓 tapping into something here in South Carolina and across the country. Moms who just get that 鈥榤ama bear鈥� instinct 鈥� and now they understand that politics is a really important way to fight back and protect their kids.鈥�

The Democrat faces an uphill battle as she challenges Sen. Lindsey Graham, a four-term Republican incumbent who鈥檚 held the seat for more than 20 years. While Andrews outraised Graham in the third and fourth quarters of 2025 , the senator has more cash-on-hand to spend. Both candidates are heavily favored to win their primaries in June.

Andrews first ran unsuccessfully for Congress against Republican Rep. Nancy Mace in the 2022 midterm election. in a race that centered . After her last congressional bid, Andrews did not plan to run again.

Then Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as health secretary.

鈥淭he fact that it is 2026 and here I am in South Carolina, where we are in the midst of a measles outbreak because of disinformation and conspiracy theories spread by people like RFK Jr. 鈥� is just really mind-blowing to me as a health care professional, as a physician, as a clinical researcher,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd so it really was the reason I decided to get in this race.鈥�

Andrews connects Kennedy鈥檚 actions on vaccines 鈥� his department has made , , to senators like Graham in part by noting their critical confirmation votes. A spokesperson for Graham did not respond to a request for comment about the senator鈥檚 stance on the measles outbreak in his home state. A review of recent public news releases on Graham鈥檚 Senate website does not appear to address the topic.

But Andrews鈥� campaign also focuses on health concerns more broadly: Andrews believes the political headwinds are shifting. Republicans, who control Congress, last year enacted massive budget cuts to programs like , and they allowed under the Affordable Care Act to lapse, sending premiums skyrocketing.

鈥淪outh Carolina has a lot of health care deserts, folks who live in rural areas, who have to drive many, many miles and cross county lines to reach a hospital system and an emergency department and maternity care,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll of that is going to be made so much worse because of what we鈥檝e seen from this Trump administration 鈥� of course, enabled and supported by Lindsey Graham.鈥�

Andrews is tapping into a topic with massive implications on public health, said Shaughnessy Naughton, president of 314 Action, a political action committee that tries to elect Democrats with a STEM background to office and has endorsed Andrews. Before the record-setting cases in 2025, the United States had averaged 180 cases of measles annually since 2000, when the disease was declared eliminated. this year and the United States is on the brink of losing its elimination status.

鈥淎s a pediatrician in kind of ground zero of the measles outbreak in South Carolina, she is a voice of real credibility and authority,鈥� Naughton said.

Doctors and health care professionals have increasingly declared candidacies ahead of the midterms, according to 314 Action. Last November, the group endorsed and supported 148 candidates in races that included seats in New Jersey and Virginia 鈥� 108 won.

314 Action launched a new last year aimed at electing more doctors, nurses and public health experts to state and federal offices. It has received 200 applications from doctors interested in running, according to Naughton.

鈥淎mericans overwhelmingly support childhood vaccines that have been shown to be effective and safe. Americans wanted the ACA subsidies to be extended so they could continue to purchase health insurance to keep their family safe and healthy,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou couple it with a cut to public health and research that provides future hope for people and cures 鈥� it鈥檚 just an administration that is not listening to what Americans want.鈥�

Kayla Hancock is director of Public Health Watch, a health-focused communications initiative from the health care advocacy group Protect Our Care. She said the Trump administration鈥檚 health policies 鈥� led in part by Kennedy 鈥� have forced the electorate to pay attention. shows 75 percent of voters say the cost of health care will impact how they vote in the midterms.

鈥淓very day, the consequences of the Trump administration鈥檚 policies around health and public health are mounting,鈥� she said. 鈥淏etween disruptive vaccine development and now deadly outbreaks of diseases that we had previously had under control, and then, of course, .鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Andrews is running for office while commuting between Charleston, where her children attend public school and she co-parents with her ex-spouse, and Washington, D.C, where she works at a children鈥檚 hospital. She said going back and forth between these two worlds 鈥� the campaign trail and her job as a doctor 鈥� has grounded her candidacy.

鈥淚鈥檓 taking care of kids who are struggling with food insecurity. Kids who have asthma and live in a home with mold on the walls and can鈥檛 afford to move to a different apartment. Kids whose parents can鈥檛 afford their prescription drugs. Kids who can鈥檛 access mental health resources in their community, and kids who have a past medical history of gunshot wounds, which is really only something you see in America,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t reminds me of all the reasons I’ve sacrificed so much to run for office. Because these problems are so urgent.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Andrews鈥� campaign platform extends beyond health care. Through her lens as a parent, she talks about addressing gun violence, making groceries more affordable for families and restoring federal abortion rights.

Still, disease prevention has been a central issue for her. Even before the outbreak in South Carolina, Andrews featured an X-ray of a kid with measles pneumonia and noted the condition could be prevented by vaccines. It鈥檚 a point she often brings up now both online and on the campaign trail, partially because the outbreak in her state has worsened since her December PSA: As of early February, cases in the state , mostly involving children 17 and under.

More than 240 cases involve children under the age of 5, some of the most vulnerable to infection since children under the age of 1 are typically too young to get the MMR vaccine. Most of the infections reported were among people not vaccinated.

The consequences to children only crystallize Andrews鈥� decision to run. She pointed out that while doctors have served in the Senate, a pediatrician has never been elected into the centuries-old chamber. (Rep. Kim Schrier of Washington state, a Democrat elected in 2018, .)

This week, Andrews focused on measles and related resources for parents.

鈥淭here鈥檚 never been a more important time for people who have an understanding of our health care system and basic medical principles to be in the room where decisions about our health care system 鈥� decisions about the public health guidance that is coming out of the federal government 鈥� are being made,鈥� Andrews said.

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