08/21/2026
OSMAPAC Announces 2026 Elections Endorsements
As the political voice for the physician, resident and student donor members, the Ohio State Medical Association Political Action Committee (OSMAPAC) advocates for Ohio physicians and represents its active participants by helping to support the elections of state candidates who support the OSMA’s policy agenda.
Each election year, the OSMAPAC embarks on a comprehensive process to endorse candidates and share information about these endorsements with OSMA members. The OSMAPAC doesn’t make an endorsement recommendation based solely upon any one single issue or principle, but rather based upon a complete review of all relevant information concerning a candidate.
OSMAPAC Board of Directors |
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Chair: Anne Taylor, MD District 1: Ryan Flynn, MD District 2: Alisha Reiss, MD District 3: Carl Wehri, MD District 4: William Sternfeld, MD District 5: John Bastulli, MD District 6: Joseph Hellmann, Jr., MD |
District 7: John Stechschulte, MD District 8: James Moore, MD International Medical Graduates Section: Deepak Kumar, MD Residents and Fellows Section: Jonathan Markle, MD Medical Student Section: Carson Hartlage |
OSMAPAC Endorsed Candidates: Ohio Governor
- Vivek Ramaswamy (Governor) and Sen. Rob McColley (Lieutenant Governor)
Candidates Ramaswamy and Acton both conducted comprehensive policy discussions with OSMA staff and the current OSMA president to discuss the major healthcare issues each candidate is prioritizing and in order for the candidate to learn about OSMA priorities. After those meetings, the OSMAPAC Board met at length to discuss and determine if an endorsement was warranted. Candidate Ramaswamy earned our endorsement based on the priorities he outlined during his interview, including:
- Removing administrative burdens on physician practices by supporting insurance-related reforms
- Preserving Ohio's tort reform laws
- Addressing rural healthcare access
- Strengthening the physician pipeline through increased training opportunities and state investment.
OSMAPAC Endorsed Candidates: Ohio Supreme Court
The OSMAPAC strives to support judicial candidates with a philosophy of judicial restraint - one that interprets the law, defers public policy matters to the legislative branch and is respectful of legal precedent that ultimately supports stability and predictability in Ohio’s legal climate. These candidates were selected for their leadership, integrity and judicial experience, and are well qualified to serve in this important role in our state.
- Judge Colleen O’Donnell
- Justice Dan Hawkins
OSMAPAC Endorsed Candidates: Ohio General Assembly
The candidates in each Statehouse election are subject to thorough scrutiny by all individuals involved in the endorsement process, and several criteria are key for consideration:
- Candidate’s philosophy on all medical issues;
- Recommendations from local OSMA members;
- Candidate’s completed OSMAPAC candidate questionnaire, if applicable;
- Candidate’s interview with local physicians, if applicable; and,
- District demographics and a candidate’s ability to win.
The recommendations for General Assembly endorsements originate from the local and regional physicians who have reviewed information related to the above criteria and in many cases, conducted interviews with both candidates. OSMAPAC partnered with local and county medical societies to help organize and carry out the interviews for candidates in each respective area. After the recommendations from each local area or district were made, the OSMAPAC Board of Directors (which includes physicians representing OSMAPAC members in each of eight geographic districts across the state, as well as representation from the OSMA’s resident, medical student, and international medical graduate sections) was tasked with the final approval of the endorsements based on the recommendations given to the Board by those local physicians.
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Endorsed Ohio Senate Candidates: |
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Endorsed Ohio House Candidates: |
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The OSMAPAC would like to thank all of our donors and members, and also to thank the candidates who participated in the questionnaire and interview processes.
If you would like more details or are interested in information about further supporting the OSMAPAC mission and advocacy, please contact: info@osma.org.