Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE
President and Chief Executive Officer
I am writing to report to you on one aspect of the 2014 mid-term Congressional elections that you will not find elsewhere in today’s extensive campaign coverage: analysis of the results from the exclusive standpoint of NACDS’ pro-pharmacy, pro-patient and pro-business agenda.
Please note, some races remain in question — whether a race is “too close to call” or subject to a runoff election. Also, while this memo focuses on the federal elections, NACDS will release additional analysis of state elections — which are increasingly consequential for pharmacy issues.
NACDS Political Action Committee Engages at Record Level, Contributes to Key Victories
The bipartisan NACDS Political Action Committee (NACDS-PAC) engaged in the 2014 elections at a record level. NACDS-PAC made campaign contributions in about one-quarter of the races for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives — contributing to 107 House candidates. NACDS-PAC engaged in nearly 70 percent of the U.S. Senate races — contributing to 25 candidates in the 36 Senate elections that were held this cycle. Disbursements to candidates increased by 42 percent compared with the 2010 cycle (the last mid-term, or non-Presidential-election year). Direct NACDS-PAC contributions and funds raised at NACDS-hosted events combined to make a $1,298,050 impact in the 2014 elections.
The NACDS-PAC “winning percentage” proved strong — a remarkable feat given that many are ascribing the term “wave election” to yesterday’s outcome. It is often the case that a PAC will support incumbent members of Congress who have demonstrated strong support for particular issues, only to see a significant number of those individuals lose re-election due in part to a national tide, among other factors. NACDS-PAC experienced some instances of that in 2014. However, in the Senate, the NACDS-PAC winning percentage currently stands at 86 percent — with 19 candidates supported by NACDS-PAC winning, three candidates losing, and three campaigns yet to be decided. In the House of Representatives, the NACDS-PAC winning percentage stands at 93 percent — with 99 victorious candidates, seven candidates who lost, and one campaign undecided.
NACDS-PAC-Backed Campaigns of Particular Interest
Several campaigns supported by NACDS-PAC merit specific mentions. Buddy Carter (R-GA) won his election to the House of Representatives and is now the only pharmacist and pharmacy owner in the U.S. Congress. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) won re-election and will serve as the Senate Majority Leader. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) — a pharmacy champion — also won re-election. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) — who has demonstrated tremendous leadership on issues such as the Drug Quality and Security Act — won with 55.8% of the vote. On the other hand, Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) lost her re-election bid. Sen. Hagan was a champion for pharmacy and was the original Senate sponsor of S. 557, the Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Empowerment Act. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) also lost his re-election and was a leader on pharmacy issues.
