Pharmacists in Elected Office 2026
CongressState LegislaturesNewly ElectedAppointed LeadersConcluding ServiceAbout This List
Overview
Pharmacists are among the most accessible health care professionals in the country, and a growing number bring that experience to public office. When the 2027 legislative sessions open, 40 pharmacists and pharmacy owners will hold seats in Congress and in state legislatures: 2 in the U.S. House of Representatives and 38 state legislators in 27 states.
They serve in both parties (29 Republicans and 11 Democrats) and in both chambers (14 state senators and 24 members of state houses and assemblies). Six were newly elected on November 3, 2026, including Ben Mudd, Executive Director of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association and NASPA’s treasurer, who won a seat in the Kentucky Senate.
Pharmacists also serve in appointed roles at the federal and state levels and in local offices across the country. NASPA maintains this list so state pharmacy associations can identify, connect with, and support the colleagues who carry the profession’s perspective into policymaking.
Pharmacists in Congress
Updated November 12, 2026
Two members of the 120th Congress, which convenes in January 2027, come from pharmacy.
| State | Name | Office | Background | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Diana Harshbarger (R) | U.S. House, 1st District | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| California | Derek Tran (D) | U.S. House, 45th District | Pharmacy owner | Re-elected 2026 |
Pharmacists in State Legislatures
Updated November 12, 2026
The 38 legislators below will serve in 2027 sessions. The list includes licensed pharmacists, holders of a pharmacy degree, and pharmacy owners.
| State | Name | Office | Background | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Billy Beasley (D) | Senate, District 28 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| Scott Ortis (R) | Senate, District 15 | Pharmacist | Newly elected | |
| Alaska | Justin Ruffridge (R) | House, District 7 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| Arkansas | Justin Boyd (R) | Senate, District 27 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| Connecticut | Tracy Marra (R) | House, District 141 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| Florida | Shane Abbott (R) | House, District 5 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| Gallop Franklin (D) | House, District 8 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 | |
| Georgia | Larry “Butch” Parrish (R) | House, District 158 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| Idaho | Jordan Redman (R) | House, District 3B | Pharmacy owner | Re-elected 2026 |
| Iowa | Brett Barker (R) | House, District 51 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| Doug Campbell (R) | Senate, District 30 | Pharmacist (retired) | Continuing term | |
| Kentucky | Adam Bowling (R) | House, District 87 | Pharmacy owner | Re-elected 2026 |
| Derek Lewis (R) | House, District 90 | Pharmacy owner | Re-elected 2026 | |
| Ben Mudd (R) | Senate, District 14 | Pharmacist | Newly elected | |
| Louisiana | Tehmi Chassion (D) | House, District 44 | Pharmacist | Continuing term |
| Maryland | Steve Johnson (D) | House of Delegates, District 34A | Former pharmacy owner | Re-elected 2026 |
| Mississippi | John Read (R) | House, District 112 | Pharmacist | Continuing term |
| Missouri | John Hewkin (R) | House, District 120 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| New Hampshire | David Rochefort (R) | Senate, District 1 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| New York | John T. McDonald III (D) | Assembly, District 108 | Pharmacy owner | Re-elected 2026 |
| North Carolina | Caroline Eason (R) | House, District 110 | Pharmacist | Newly elected |
| Heather Rhyne (R) | House, District 97 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 | |
| Ohio | Derrick Hall (D) | House, District 34 | Doctor of Pharmacy | Re-elected 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Lisa Standridge (R) | Senate, District 15 | Pharmacist | Continuing term |
| Rhode Island | Michelle McGaw (D) | House, District 71 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| South Carolina | Ronnie Cromer (R) | Senate, District 18 | Pharmacist | Continuing term |
| South Dakota | Troy Redler (R) | House, District 17 | Pharmacist and pharmacy owner | Newly elected |
| Tennessee | Ferrell Haile (R) | Senate, District 18 | Pharmacist | Continuing term |
| Bobby Harshbarger (R) | Senate, District 4 | Pharmacist | Continuing term | |
| Shane Reeves (R) | Senate, District 14 | Pharmacist | Continuing term | |
| Texas | Charles Schwertner (R) | Senate, District 5 | Pharmacist and physician | Re-elected 2026 |
| Utah | Sheldon Birch (R) | House, District 29 | Pharmacy owner | Newly elected |
| Evan Vickers (R) | Senate, District 28 (Majority Leader) | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 | |
| Virginia | M. Keith Hodges (R) | House of Delegates, District 68 | Pharmacist | Continuing term |
| H. Otto Wachsmann Jr. (R) | House of Delegates, District 83 | Pharmacist | Continuing term | |
| Washington | Vandana Slatter (D) | Senate, District 48 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 |
| My-Linh Thai (D) | House, District 41 | Pharmacist | Re-elected 2026 | |
| West Virginia | Ric Griffith (D) | House of Delegates, District 27 | Pharmacist | Newly elected |
(R) Republican, (D) Democrat. “Continuing term” means the member was not on the ballot in 2026. Results from the November 3, 2026 election are unofficial until certified by each state.
Newly Elected in 2026
Six pharmacists and pharmacy owners won state legislative seats for the first time, or returned to office, on November 3, 2026.
Pharmacists in Appointed Leadership
Elected office is not the only path into public leadership. Alex J. Adams, PharmD, MPH, a former executive director of the Idaho Board of Pharmacy, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in October 2025 as Assistant Secretary for Family Support at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he leads the Administration for Children and Families.
At the state level, pharmacists hold appointed seats on statewide boards and commissions that reach well beyond health care. In Tennessee, two members of the seven-member Public Utility Commission come from pharmacy: John Hie, a University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy graduate and former U.S. Army pharmacist, and Clay Good, a former pharmacy owner.
Closer to home, pharmacists serve as mayors, city council members, county commissioners, and school board members. NASPA is building a companion list of local officeholders with help from state pharmacy associations.
Concluding Service
NASPA thanks the following pharmacists for their service as they complete their terms.
Members completing their terms (10)
- Earl “Buddy” Carter (R), U.S. House, Georgia 1st District. Term ends January 2027.
- Randy McNally (R), Tennessee Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate. Retiring after 48 years in the legislature; the Senate elects a new Speaker in January 2027.
- Vicki Schmidt (R), Kansas Insurance Commissioner. Term ends January 2027.
- Brandon Achor (R), Arkansas House, District 71. Term ends January 2027.
- Ron Stephens (R), Georgia House, District 164. Term ends January 2027.
- Robert Nutting (R), Maine House, District 66. Term ends December 2026.
- T.J. Marti (R), Oklahoma House, District 75. Term ends November 2026.
- Tom Butler (R), Alabama Senate, District 2. Term ends November 2026.
- Phillip Rigsby (R), Alabama House, District 25. Term ends November 2026.
- Jeff Stone (R), Nevada Senate, District 20. Term ends November 2026.
About This List
NASPA compiles this list from public sources, including official legislative and agency websites, election results, and news reports. It includes people who are licensed pharmacists, hold a pharmacy degree, or own a pharmacy. NASPA does not independently verify licensure. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement of any officeholder, candidate, or party.
Know a pharmacist in office who is not listed, or see something that needs correcting? Please tell us.