Virginia Gov.-elect Ralph Northam gives thumbs up to science

With the Republican Party cementing itself ever more solidly in the anti-science camp, it may seem axiomatic that a vote for the Democratic candidate is also a nod toward reason, logic, and policy that’s informed by sound science. However, there are some candidates who are not only open to listening to science, but have their own grounding in science and engineering. And those candidates did particularly well on Tuesday night. For example …

Dr. Ralph Northam After growing up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and attending public schools, Ralph attended the Virginia Military Institute where he graduated with a degree in Biology. Ralph attended the Eastern Virginia Medical School and joined the US Army where he treated soldiers at Walter Reed and those wounded in Operation Desert Storm.

Northam was just one of the candidates supported by 314Action. While voters may be used to looking for candidates endorsed by Emily’s List when it comes to reproductive rights, or the League of Conservation Voters when it comes to the environment, 314Action is aimed at promoting pro-science candidates, and particularly candidates who are themselves scientists.

314Action got started last year with the goal of finding 1,000 candidates with a STEM background. So far, they’ve found … 7,000. Not all of those candidates are running this year, or even in 2018, but the roster of pro-science candidates continues to grow. Many of these candidates have passed through 314’s own candidate training. In other cases, 314Action has worked with the campaign to provide resources and connections.

While races like that of Northam catch a lot of press, 314 is also working with candidates like Christina VandePol, who won the Chester County, Pennsylvania, coroner race on Tuesday. It’s a win that not only puts a pro-science candidate into position to run for another office at some future date, but also installs someone with a genuine medical background (VandePol is an actual board-certified MD who taught college anatomy classes).

She’s just one of the pro-science wins on Tuesday night.