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New and notable 2026 candidates in the Midwest who support Medicare for All

Numerous Democratic candidates running in the 2026 midterms are offering support for Medicare for All as the health care debate in the United States resurfaces.

Numerous Democratic candidates running in the 2026 midterms are offering support for Medicare for All as the health care debate in the United States resurfaces.

There is wide consensus that America’s health care system is broken, but the government has done little to mitigate the consistently increasing costs for consumers. Even after the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) passage in 2010, health care costs and outcomes in the United States continue to trend in the wrong direction compared to other high-income nations.

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The recent government shutdown standoff put health care costs at the forefront of political debate, with little talk of long-term, comprehensive solutions. But several Democratic primaries around the country will feature candidates running on the Medicare for All position, which proposes to offer the first single-payer health care system in America by expanding the Medicare program to cover all inhabitants of the country.

Several incumbent lawmakers have routinely introduced this legislation in Congress, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The latest iterations of the bill introduced in 2025 include 17 cosponsors in the Senate and 111 cosponsors of Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s (D-WA) version in the U.S. House of Representatives. A recent survey conducted by Data for Progress suggests strong approval for Medicare for All, with 65% of all likely voters indicating support for the policy (78% among Democratic voters).

Below is a breakdown of prominent Democratic candidates running in Heartland states in 2026 who support Medicare for All.

Juliana Stratton (Illinois U.S. Senate)

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Juliana Stratton currently serves as Illinois’ lieutenant governor but is seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring, longtime incumbent Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). Shortly after joining the race last year, Stratton announced that she would support Medicare for All if she were elected to the Senate, citing her firsthand experience with America’s health care system when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

One of Stratton’s main opponents, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), has proposed a plan to accelerate Medicaid’s ability to lower the cost of prescription drug prices and repeal Republican cuts to the Medicaid program. Krishnamoorthi has not indicated support for Medicare for All.

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Robin Kelly (Illinois U.S. Senate)

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) has served Illinois’s 2nd Congressional District since 2013, and joined the U.S. Senate race after Durbin announced his intention to vacate the seat. Kelly has indicated support for Medicare for All, and she signed onto the Jayapal’s House version of the bill in May 2023. Kelly said Medicare should cover dental and vision, while Stratton has called for it to also include hearing and long-term home services.

Robert Peters (Illinois 2nd Congressional District)

Illinois state Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) first assumed office in 2019 and is now seeking the Democratic nomination for Kelly’s 2nd Congressional District seat. Peters’ campaign website indicates support for Medicare for All to “make health care a universal guarantee.”

Junaid Ahmed (Illinois 8th Congressional District)

Junaid Ahmed is the co-founder of a nonprofit who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. In an Instagram post from last month, Ahmed said supporting Medicare for All shouldn’t be controversial.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Junaid Ahmed (@junaidforus)

A survey from last November showed former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) is the likely frontrunner in the 8th District primary. Bean joined moderate caucuses while in Congress, and she has never supported a single-payer health care plan in her political career.

Daniel Biss (Illinois 9th Congressional District)

Daniel Biss is the current mayor of Evanston, Ill. and former member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2011-13) and state Senate (2013-19). After 14-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) announced her intention to retire when her current term expires, Biss entered the crowded Democratic primary to fill Illinois’ 9th Congressional seat.

Biss’ campaign website indicates that he supports Medicare for All and reversing Republican cuts to Medicaid in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

A recent poll of 569 likely Democratic Primary voters conducted by Data For Progress suggested a neck and neck race between Biss and journalist/internet personality Kat Abughazaleh. 

Kat Abughazaleh (Illinois 9th Congressional District) 

Abughazaleh has also indicated support for universal single-payer healthcare with an opt-out. The 26-year-old has also called health care a human right.

“And I think that with the global infrastructure of universal health care, as every industrialized country except us has, everyone should be able to access it and not worry about being bankrupt,” Abughazaleh said in an Instagram reel.

Bushra Amiwala (Illinois 9th Congressional District)

Bushra Amiwala is second behind Abughazaleh in individual contributions raised for Illinois 9th District’s primary. She is also an advocate of Medicare for All and believes that health care is a human right

Dylan Blaha (Illinois 13th Congressional District)

Dylan Blaha is a former U.S. Army Medical officer running to unseat incumbent Democrat Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District primary election. Blaha has voiced frustration with the Democratic Party’s handling of last year’s  government shutdown and failed negotiations on extending the ACA’s premium tax credits, calling for Medicare for All as a solution to high medical costs.

Graham Platner (Maine U.S. Senate)

Graham Platner is a former U.S. Marine and oyster farmer running as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maine. Platner has made Medicare for All a central position of his campaign as he seeks the Democratic nomination over Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D).

Janet Mills (Maine U.S. Senate)

During a candidate forum in November, Mills announced her support for a universal health care system in America. Although she left the door open for other health care plans, Mills mentioned she would support Medicare for All if she were elected to the Senate.

“Whether you call it Medicare for All or something else, I think it’s clear the people of the United States deserve a universal healthcare plan,” Mills said. “And I would be committed to finding a way to get there. It is time for universal health care.” 

Abdul El-Sayed (Michigan U.S. Senate)

Abdul El-Sayed is a progressive member of the Democratic Party and a physician who co-wrote a book about implementing Medicare for All in America. Sayed has also worked as a public health professor, health director of Detroit and health director of Wayne County.

El-Sayed is seeking the Senate seat held by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), who will not seek reelection in 2026. El-Sayed is seeking the Democratic nomination against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak). Stevens has advocated for extending the ACA’s premium tax credits and lowering prescription drug prices, while McMorrow has called for a public health care option. El-Sayed has been critical of McMorrow’s position.

Donavan McKinney (Michigan 13th Congressional District)

Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit) is attempting to win the Democratic nomination in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI). Both candidates support the Medicare for All position, as Thanedar is a co-sponsor on the House version of the bill.

McKinney also supports more progressive ideas like publicly funded housing and removing money from politics.

Peggy Flanagan (Minnesota U.S. Senate)

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (DFL) will seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), who announced that she will not seek another term in 2026. Flanagan is an outspoken progressive who has said she believes health care a human right and wants prior authorization banned. Prior authorization refers to certain health care plans that require approval from the insurance provider before a doctor can provide certain services.

Flanagan explained her position during an interview with “Breaking Points” last year.

“It is time to just say what is needed and necessary, which is to get rid of prior authorization so some dude behind a desk doesn’t get to decide whether or not you get the lifesaving health care that you deserve,” Flanagan said. “And that we need Medicare for All. And I think that has been the clearest difference between the two of us (Flanagan and her opponent Angie Craig). That I am willing to take on these big corporations and to fight for what folks need.”

Flanagan will face current U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), a former executive for St. Jude Medical. Craig’s campaign website calls for reducing the cost of health care and prescription drugs in the future.

Cori Bush (Missouri 1st Congressional District)

Cori Bush represented Missouri’s 1st Congressional seat from 2021-25, until she was narrowly defeated in a highly contested primary election in 2024. The election saw the outspoken progressive lose to current Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO), who received $8.5 million from pro-Israel PACs after Bush offered heavy criticism against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.

Bush was a member of the House Medicare for All caucus before her defeat. Bell has voiced support for expanding access to health insurance, and he became a co-sponsor of the Medicare for All Act last April.

Bob Brooks (Pennsylvania 7th Congressional District)

Bob Brooks is a former firefighter and the likely frontrunner on the Democratic side for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional district. Brooks has garnered prominent endorsements from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), along with Sanders.

Brooks is a proponent of Medicare for All, saying, “You shouldn’t have to run into a burning building to get health care from your government or wait until you turn 65.”

Justin Pearson (Tennessee 9th Congressional District)

Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) has served in the state Assembly since 2023. That same year, him,  Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) became nationally known as the “Tennessee Three” for protesting the state’s gun laws on the House floor after the Covenant School shooting. Pearson and Jones were expelled for their protests, but both were later reinstated after winning special elections

Pearson (31) is now challenging 76-year-old U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) in the state’s 9th Congressional District primary, which will be held on Aug. 6. Pearson is a proponent of many progressive ideals, including Medicare for All. His campaign website expands on his view, saying, “We need Medicare for All because no family deserves to lose a loved one because of fear of the costs burdening their loved ones so much that they would rather not be alive.” 

Cohen became a cosponsor of the Medicare for All Act last April. 

In addition to the challengers above, the following list includes Heartland incumbents who support Medicare for All that are running for reelection in 2026. 

  • Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)
  • Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA)
  • Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL)
  • Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) – Running for U.S. Senate
  • Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL)
  • Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)
  • Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN)
  • Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI)
  • Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI)
  • Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
  • Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
  • Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
  • Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO)
  • Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
  • Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH)
  • Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA)
  • Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA)
  • Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA)
  • Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) – Running in new district 
  • Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) – Running for U.S. Senate
  • Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX)
  • Rep. Al Green (D-TX) – Running in new district
  • Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)
  • U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Author

Rich Eberwein is a multimedia journalist for Heartland Signal. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois before joining Heartland Signal in 2022. In addition to politics, Rich writes about baseball and entertainment for Fansided. Read Richard’s reporting

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