




Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Current rolePediatric surgeon
PartyDemocratic
GenderFemale
LocationPennsylvania
BackgroundPediatric surgeon
EducationPennsylvania State University — B.S. Biology
Notable personal detailsAla Stanford is an American pediatric surgeon and health equity advocate based in Philadelphia. She founded the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and later opened the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity. She served as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region III (Mid-Atlantic) regional director and joined the University of Pennsylvania in 2024 as a professor of practice and in community outreach roles tied to the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation.
Ala Stanford emphasizes health equity and expanding access to primary and preventive care for underserved communities, and has advocated using public programs and federal resources to address disparities. Her work centers on creating community-based clinics, increasing vaccination and testing access, and using federal health roles to support Medicaid/Medicare programs and public health initiatives.
Ala Stanford has participated in intergovernmental efforts and meetings focused on addressing gun violence in Philadelphia in her role as HHS Region 3 director, and has said the goal is to prevent and reduce gun violence through collaboration and shared resources. There is no clear, detailed public statement on her specific federal policy positions (for example: universal background checks, assault weapons bans, red flag laws, or other specific gun-regulation proposals) available on her campaign or public pages found in this search.
Ala Stanford is running in the crowded Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, where early reporting said she was leading after polls closed. The race is effectively for the seat being vacated by Rep. Dwight Evans, and Stanford has picked up major endorsements from Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan, along with support from Evans and EMILY’s List. Her campaign has also faced scrutiny over a nonprofit funding and tax-reporting report, and she recently skipped a debate amid accusations of misogynistic attacks and disagreement over the format. A super PAC that had been backing her pulled TV ads late in the race after internal polling reportedly showed her falling behind Chris Rabb, while Sharif Street remained competitive.





Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
Endorsers of Ala Stanford for PA-03 Democratic nominee?
Public endorsement
EMILYs List endorsed Ala Stanford for Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District.
Public endorsement
U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan endorsed Ala Stanford for the Democratic primary.
Public figure
David Oxman endorsed Ala Stanford for Congress after ending his own bid.
Public endorsement
Three health care professional groups endorsed Ala Stanford for Congress.
Political organization
314 Action Fund endorsed Ala Stanford for Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District.
Former elected official
Former Mayor Michael Nutter endorsed Ala Stanford for Congress.
2026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC