With a dwindling number of days until elections in the US, Science takes a look at the scientist-candidates still in the race.
In February, the Huffington Post reported that some 60 people with science or technology backgrounds were running for federal-level office, while another 200 were seeking elected positions at state or other levels. It attributed much of this increased political interest by scientists to Trump Administration policies that disregarded science.
By June, only a few of those candidates were still in the running. Science reported then that many scientist-candidates performed poorly in primary races, with some eking out only a small percentage of votes.
But about 18 scientist-candidates are still on the November ballot for the US House of Representatives, Science now reports. Some, it notes, have decent odds of being elected, while others appear to be more long-shot candidates. For instance, it says that Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.), an industrial engineer with a master's degree, is favored to win her district, while Rob Davidson (D-Mich.), an emergency room physician, is running against a four-term incumbent.