Michael Katz

Michael Katz earned a high school diploma from Daniel Hand High School, a B.S. from Bates College in 1984, an M.D. from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1989, and an MBA from the Georgetown University School of Business in 2000. His professional experience includes working as a physician and anesthesiologist.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m Dr. Mike Katz, a husband, father of three, pediatric critical care anesthesiologist, small business owner and business executive, and former Delaware State Senator.

I grew up in a working-class family and was the first man in my family to attend college. My family taught me the importance of hard work, personal responsibility, and serving others.

Thirty years ago, I was recruited from Boston Children’s Hospital to A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, bringing me and my wife Trish, to Delaware. All three of our now-adult children were born and raised here, and Delaware has been our family’s home ever since.

For over 20 years, Delaware families have trusted me to care for critically ill children and families and make difficult decisions when every second mattered. I have also created jobs, managed businesses and budgets, and had the privilege of representing my neighbors in the Delaware State Senate.

Medicine, business, and public service have taught me to listen, understand the facts, solve problems, make tough decisions, and be accountable for the results.

I’m running for the U.S. Senate to give Delaware a strong voice in Washington and be a tireless advocate for our state, always putting Delaware and the people I serve first.

People over party. Service above self.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Real World Experience: As a pediatric critical care anesthesiologist, small business owner and business executive, and former Delaware State Senator, I have spent my career making difficult decisions and solving real problems. Medicine taught me to listen, understand the facts, act decisively, and be accountable for the outcome. Business taught me how to create jobs, manage budgets, and deliver results. Public service taught me that lasting solutions require listening to the people you represent and working across party lines. I will bring that real-world experience and problem-solving approach to the U.S. Senate.Delaware First, People Over Party: Public service means putting the people you represent ahead of party, politics, and personal ambition. In the Delaware State Senate, I worked across party lines to solve problems and deliver results for the people I represented. I will bring that same approach to Washington, standing up for Delaware families, small businesses, farmers, veterans, and communities across our state. Delaware deserves a strong voice and tireless advocate in the U.S. Senate who will listen, lead, and always put Delaware first.Accountability and Reform in Washington: Washington was never meant to be a permanent home for career politicians. I support congressional term limits, fiscal responsibility, and aggressive action to root out government waste, fraud, and abuse. We must reduce the influence of special interests, demand transparency, and hold elected officials and government agencies accountable for how they spend taxpayers’ money. On my first day in the U.S. Senate, I will introduce a constitutional amendment establishing congressional term limits. Public office should be about service, not self-interest. It is time to clean up Washington, restore trust and common sense in government, and return power to the people.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My public policy priorities are grounded in my experience in medicine, business, and public service. As a physician, I am committed to healthcare reform that lowers costs, improves access, emphasizes prevention, and protects Medicare and Medicaid. I support congressional term limits, fiscal responsibility, and aggressive efforts to eliminate government waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption. I am focused on lowering the cost of living, especially high energy, grocery, and housing costs, and creating economic opportunity for families and small businesses. I am also committed to keeping our promises to veterans, protecting constitutional freedoms, strengthening education, and ensuring a safer, healthier, and prosperous future for our children

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

The person I have always looked up to most is my Dad. He taught me, primarily through his example, the importance of hard work, commitment to family, service to others, and living according to your faith and values.

My Dad understood that responsibility extended beyond yourself. He was always there for his family, but he also believed in being part of his community and helping others when they needed it. He did not seek recognition for doing what was right; he simply believed that was how you were supposed to live.

His example shaped the way I have tried to approach my own life, as a husband and father, physician, business owner, and public servant. Work hard, take responsibility, be there for your family, serve your community, help others when you can, and remain grounded in your faith.

Those are principles I have tried to pass on to my own kids and would continue to carry with me in public service.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important qualities of an elected official are integrity, sound judgment, courage, accountability, and a genuine commitment to public service. Leadership requires the discipline to understand complex issues, consider competing perspectives, and make principled decisions based on facts and the long-term interests of the people they represent, not political expediency.

An elected official must also have the independence to challenge their own party when necessary, the ability to work across political divisions when common ground exists, and the humility to listen before acting. Public trust must be earned through transparency, responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, and accountability for both decisions and results.

Ultimately, elected office is a public trust. My guiding principle is simple: People over party. Service above self.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A United States Senator has a responsibility first and foremost to represent the people of their state while fulfilling a constitutional duty to the nation. For me, that means putting Delaware first, listening to Delawareans, understanding the challenges facing our families, businesses, and communities, and ensuring our state has a strong and effective voice in Washington.

A Senator must thoughtfully evaluate legislation, protect constitutional rights, exercise rigorous oversight of the executive branch and federal agencies, responsibly steward taxpayer dollars, and carefully consider judicial and executive nominations. The Senate also carries significant responsibilities for national security and America’s role in the world.

What legacy would you like to leave?

My greatest legacy is my kids. My wife, Trish, and I raised three children, and I am most proud of the adults they have become. I hope they will remember that I was a devoted husband and dad, worked hard, kept my word, stood up for what I believed was right, and was always there for my family.

My dad taught me that we also have a responsibility beyond ourselves, to help others, serve our community, and do our part to leave the world a little better than we found it. Those are values I have tried to live by and pass on to my kids.

I have been fortunate to care for critically ill children and their families, build businesses and create opportunities for others, serve my community, and hold public office. I hope my kids have seen through those experiences that whatever opportunities we are given in life come with a responsibility to use them in service to others.

If my kids carry those values forward in their own lives, families, and communities, that is the legacy of which I will be most proud.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working with my dad when I was about eight years old, helping him clean offices and carpets. I remember being on my hands and knees scrubbing floors and carpets alongside him. I continued working with my dad during summers and through college.

It was hard work, but I enjoyed it. I took pride in working hard and doing the job right, and, more importantly, I valued the time I was able to spend with my dad. Working alongside him gave me an early appreciation for what it meant to earn money, take responsibility, and contribute to our family.

My dad taught me by example that no job is beneath you, hard work matters, and when you take responsibility for something, you do it right. I started working alongside him when I was eight and continued through college. The work ethic, and the memories of those years with my dad, have stayed with me throughout my life.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have been fortunate in my life, and I cannot point to one struggle that defines me. I have certainly faced challenges, setbacks, difficult decisions, and periods of uncertainty, as everyone does. I have always tried to deal with them directly, work through them, and keep moving forward.

Balancing family with a demanding career in medicine, building businesses, and serving my community has required hard work, sacrifice, and difficult choices. There have been successes and failures along the way, and I have learned from both.

My approach has always been to understand the problem, focus on what I can control, take responsibility for my decisions, and find a way forward. My family, faith and values, work ethic, and perseverance have kept me grounded through difficult times. Challenges are part of life; what matters is how we respond to them.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Over the next decade, America must restore economic security, national strength, and confidence in our institutions. Our growing national debt and unsustainable federal spending threaten future generations, while families face high costs for housing, food, healthcare, and energy. We must expand economic opportunity, support small businesses, secure the long-term future of Social Security and Medicare, and pursue an affordable, reliable American energy strategy.

We must secure our borders, maintain a strong national defense, address emerging threats from foreign adversaries, and ensure America remains a global leader in technology, innovation, and advanced manufacturing. Education and healthcare also require serious reform focused on outcomes, affordability, and preparing the next generation to succeed.

Underlying these challenges is a loss of trust in government. Waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, political division, and the influence of special interests have weakened public confidence. We need accountable leadership that protects our constitutional freedoms, restores fiscal discipline, strengthens the rule of law, and leaves the next generation a safer, healthier, more prosperous, and more secure America.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The United States Senate occupies a unique place in our constitutional system. Every state, regardless of population, has an equal voice. For a small state like Delaware, that is especially significant: our two Senators have the same vote and constitutional authority as Senators representing the largest states.

The Senate was designed to be a deliberative body, with six-year terms providing continuity and encouraging members to consider the long-term consequences of national policy. It also serves as an essential check within our system of separated powers.

Its constitutional responsibilities extend well beyond legislation. The Senate provides advice and consent on presidential appointments, federal judges, and treaties; conducts oversight of the executive branch; and plays a critical role in matters of national security.

At its best, the Senate demands serious debate, independent judgment, respect for differing views, and the ability to find common ground without abandoning principle. Those qualities are essential to effective government and preserving our constitutional system.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes. In a representative democracy, effective and lasting policymaking often requires people with different perspectives to find common ground. Compromise is necessary to govern, but it should never require abandoning our constitutional principles, fundamental rights, or core values.

The Constitution establishes the boundaries within which policymakers must operate. Within those boundaries, elected officials should listen, negotiate in good faith, and seek practical solutions. There is an important difference between compromising on the details of legislation and compromising the principles that protect our freedoms.

During my service in the Delaware State Senate, I worked across party lines to solve problems and serve the people I represented. I believe in listening carefully, respecting legitimate differences, and finding common ground whenever possible.

Effective leadership requires the judgment to know when compromise can move us forward, the courage to stand firm when principle requires it, and the discipline to always keep the interests of the people we serve at the center of our decisions.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Delaware Republican Party — 82% convention endorsement

Sussex County Republican Party

Northern New Castle County Republican Party

Independent Party of Delaware

College Republicans of America

Delaware College Republicans / University of Delaware College Republicans

America First Insight

Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association (DSSA) / Jeff Hague, President

State Sen. Dave Lawson

State Sen. Dave Wilson

State Rep. Danny Short, former House Minority Leader

Julianne Murray, former U.S. Attorney and Delaware GOP Chair

Daniel Willis, Vice Chair, Delaware Republican Party

Tom Molnar, Chair, Sussex County Republican Committee

Laura DelPercio, Chair, Western New Castle Region Republican Committee

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The first major historical event I remember was the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969. I remember sitting with my mom, dad, and two older sisters in front of our little black-and-white television, watching Neil Armstrong step onto the Moon. Even as a child, I knew I was watching something extraordinary, something people had dreamed about but never before accomplished.

That moment stayed with me. It sparked a lifelong appreciation for science, discovery, innovation, and what can be accomplished when people are willing to take on challenges that others believe are impossible.

More than five decades later, I still see the Moon landing as a remarkable example of American ingenuity, courage, and determination. It reminds me never to underestimate what we can accomplish when we set ambitious goals and work together to achieve them.

Campaign websiteKatz's campaign website stated the following:Guiding Principles — How I Evaluate LegislationEvery piece of legislation should be judged by the same standards. I will ask:Does it protect earned benefits and constitutional rights?Does it improve healthcare, quality of life, and economic opportunity for Delaware families?Does it strengthen national security and America's leadership abroad?Is it fiscally responsible?Does it improve government accountability, transparency, and performance?If legislation advances these goals, I will work tirelessly to build bipartisan support and deliver results.Economy & Cost of LivingReining in inflation and restoring fiscal discipline.In medicine, if a treatment is causing the patient's condition to deteriorate, you don't double down on it. You change the treatment. You stop the bleeding, re-examine the data, and implement a strategy that actually works.Right now, Delaware families are paying the price for a failed economic prescription. From the grocery store checkout line to the gas pump, and from monthly utility bills to skyrocketing housing costs, Delawareans are being squeezed by a cost-of-living crisis manufactured by career politicians in Washington.As a business owner, I have spent decades managing budgets, evaluating risk, and building organizations where accountability is mandatory. In business, if you continuously run a massive deficit without a path to viability, you go bankrupt. Yet Washington insiders like Chris Coons continue to run our nation's balance sheet like a failed enterprise, treating your hard-earned tax dollars as an unlimited credit card.It is time to bring a second opinion to Washington. We need a culture of strict fiscal discipline, operational accountability, and common-sense economic growth.To lower costs and protect the financial health of Delaware families, my economic architecture focuses on three non-negotiable pillars.1. Defeating Inflation through Fiscal ResponsibilityInflation isn't an accident; it is the direct symptom of reckless, unchecked federal spending. When the government prints and spends trillions of dollars we do not have, the value of the dollar drops, and the cost of everything you buy goes up.Halt Wasteful Federal Spending. I will stand firmly with President Trump to halt wasteful federal spending and demand structural accountability in the federal budget. Government must live within its means, just like every family and small business in Delaware has to do.Protect Seniors from Inflation. I will fight to protect seniors on fixed incomes from having their savings eroded by inflation.No New Taxes on Working Families. Oppose any efforts by Washington insiders to raise taxes on working families.2. Cutting the Red Tape for Small Businesses and JobsDelaware runs on people who work. Small businesses are the engine of our local economy, but they are currently being suffocated by over-regulation, high corporate burdens, and red tape that drives up the cost of doing business.Pro-Growth Tax Cuts. In the State Senate, I previously introduced legislation like SB 100 to reform corporate burdens and keep employers here in Delaware. In the U.S. Senate, I will advocate for permanent pro-growth tax cuts and a massive rollback of federal bureaucratic overreach.Lower Costs, Higher Wages. When we lower the regulatory costs on employers, they can invest in their workforce, raise wages, and lower prices for consumers.3. Lowering Costs for Essential Needs: Energy & HousingTwo of the heaviest burdens on Delaware families right now are rising utility bills and the steep cost of housing. Delaware families pay some of the highest electricity rates in the mid-Atlantic region. Getting into a home in Delaware has become out of reach for a generation of young families — Delaware's median home price surged from $221,100 in 2018 to $339,400 in 2023, a 53% increase in just five years.Energy Affordability and American Energy DominanceTrue affordability requires addressing the cost side structurally. We must unlock American energy dominance to lower prices at the pump and stabilize the electrical grid.Diversified, Reliable Energy. I support a diversified, reliable energy strategy — including safe nuclear power with the right safeguards — to meet long-term demand and drive down utility bills. I support the Advanced Act that promotes efficient project permitting and advanced nuclear technology development.Delaware as an Energy Innovation Hub. I will work with energy-producing companies to identify areas in Delaware for self-produced clean energy, using Delaware as an example to attract more businesses to the state.Protect Delaware's Coast. Delaware's coastal geography makes it uniquely vulnerable to the environmental consequences of energy policy. I will protect Delaware's clean water and air, beaches and open spaces — while ensuring federal decisions on grid investment, permitting, and offshore wind don't price Delaware families out of their own homes.Housing Affordability and the American DreamOwning a home is foundational to stable families, stable communities, and the American Dream. For a young Delaware family trying to save for a down payment while managing rent, groceries, childcare, and student loans, the current math simply does not work.Eliminate Federal Barriers. Eliminate federal barriers that drive up the cost of housing construction.First-Time Homebuyer Pathways. Create targeted federal pathways — tax incentives, lending standards, and construction support — that give first-time homebuyers a fair shot at building a future here.Expand the Affordable Housing Supply. Augment the supply of affordable homes through zoning reform partnerships, construction incentives, and reduced compliance costs for projects that meet community needs.HealthcareCommon Ground means no family's health depends on their zip code.I have spent over forty years inside the U.S. healthcare system — starting as a teenager working as a phlebotomist in New Haven hospitals, then training as a pediatric critical care anesthesiologist, then managing surgical facilities and advising health systems on operational efficiency and integration. I am not a politician who learned about healthcare from a briefing. I am the only candidate in this race who can walk into a Senate committee hearing on healthcare and know, from experience, whether what's being said is true.America's healthcare sector is seventeen percent of national GDP and one of the most complex industries on earth. Its size, complexities, and the gravity of life-and-death decisions defy conventional business models fixated on profit maximization. Yet the current state of America's healthcare is marked by excessive costs, inefficiencies, and fragmentation — with care delivery that often lacks coordination among providers and services.Delaware's healthcare challenges are acute and local. Prescription drug costs have climbed for Delaware families even as major pharmacy chains have reduced their presence in underserved communities. Rural Delaware — Kent and Sussex counties — has long faced shortages of specialists and primary care physicians, forcing families to travel hours for care that residents in Wilmington take for granted. Delawareans pay some of the highest health insurance premiums in the region. Meanwhile, the mental health crisis continues to devastate communities statewide.To deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare regardless of zip code, my architecture focuses on three non-negotiable pillars.1. Lower Costs and Expand AccessThe status quo prices Delaware families out of care they need. Federal action on drug pricing, rural health funding, and insurance regulation can directly lower what Delawareans pay at the pharmacy counter and the doctor's office.Drug Pricing Reform. Move on prescription drug pricing in ways that protect patients without choking off the innovation pipeline that brings new treatments to market.Rural Care for Kent and Sussex. Fund rural health initiatives that put specialists and primary care physicians within reach of Delaware families in Kent and Sussex counties.Lower Premiums. Push back on the federal policies and market dynamics that have made Delaware's health insurance premiums among the highest in the region.2. Shift the System from Treating Illness to Preventing ItThe American system is wired to pay for sick care, not health. We pay for procedures after the fact rather than for the work that keeps families healthy in the first place. That gets the incentives backwards.Prevention from the Start. Build a system that advocates healthy behaviors and lifestyles starting from prenatal care and early childhood.Coordinated Community Health. Move from fragmented, encounter-based care toward coordinated population and community health, with providers responsible for outcomes, not just billable visits.Integrate Mental Health into Primary Care. Treat the whole person — integrating mental health services into education and community health rather than continuing the artificial wall between physical and mental care.3. Break Down Silos and Restore ChoiceNot-for-profit, academic, and for-profit health systems each have a role in delivering high-quality care. The wall between them — and the regulatory friction that keeps them from coordinating — hurts patients.Integrate Across Systems. Break down silos between not-for-profit, academic, and for-profit health systems to enhance choice, coordination, and operational efficiency.Federal Tools That Match the Problem. A U.S. Senator has direct influence over drug pricing, rural health funding, mental health parity, and the federal investment that determines what Delaware patients can access. Use those tools deliberately.Protecting Delaware Jobs and Keeping Business HereReversing regulatory flight and restoring our competitive edge.In business, if your overhead is too high, your regulations are too complex, and your tax structure penalizes growth, you don't survive. You are forced to restructure, downsize, or relocate to an environment that allows you to operate cleanly and efficiently.Right now, federal policies are forcing a dangerous economic migration. For generations, Delaware has been the economic capital for American business — the place where companies choose to incorporate because we offered stability, predictability, and a serious, rule-of-law approach to commerce. But reckless over-regulation, punitive federal tax policies, and bureaucratic overreach from Washington insiders are breaking that foundation. Companies are fleeing Delaware and American soil, and small businesses right here in Delaware are being choked out by compliance costs they cannot afford.As a business owner, I have managed corporate infrastructure from the inside. I know what it takes to sign the front of a paycheck, manage risk, and keep a balance sheet in the black. When I served as a State Senator, I looked at the structural facts and introduced SB 100 to specifically reform corporate burdens and protect employers right here at home. Now, we must take that exact same fight to the federal level.Working alongside President Trump's pro-growth agenda, I will lead a structural overhaul to stop Washington from driving business away and ensure that Delaware remains the premier environment to invest, innovate, and create jobs.My federal architecture for economic competitiveness focuses on three non-negotiable pillars.1. Stopping Federal Regulatory OverreachUnaccountable federal bureaucrats have weaponized the regulatory state, bypassing Congress to impose endless compliance mandates that act as a hidden tax on every business in Delaware.One In, Multiple Out. I will aggressively support President Trump's mandate to cut job-killing federal regulations. For every one new federal rule proposed, we must structurally eliminate multiple outdated, burdensome regulations.Congressional Oversight of Bureaucratic Rules. I will demand strict congressional oversight so that unelected bureaucrats can no longer unilaterally create rules that squeeze out Delaware employers and destroy local jobs.2. Making Permanent Pro-Growth Tax ReformsWhen Washington corporate tax rates are uncompetitive, companies do not disappear — they relocate their capital, factories, and jobs to foreign countries. High federal taxes don't hurt corporate elites; they directly penalize the middle-class workers whose wages are suppressed and the small business owners who cannot afford to expand.Make the Tax Cuts Permanent. I will vote to make the pro-growth tax cuts permanent, protecting Delaware's working families and small businesses from massive tax hikes.Keep Capital and Headquarters Onshore. By maintaining a highly competitive federal tax architecture, we incentivize global enterprises to keep their capital, intellectual property, and head offices right here in the United States, driving sustained economic investment into our state.3. Securing Supply Chains and Demanding Fair ReciprocityTrue economic sovereignty means a country must be able to manufacture its own critical goods. Decades of failed trade policies supported by career politicians like Chris Coons have allowed foreign adversaries to hollow out our industrial base, leaving Delaware workers vulnerable to unfair global competition.Bring Critical Manufacturing Home. I support targeted federal incentives and strategic tariffs to protect domestic energy, technology, and pharmaceuticals from foreign exploitation.Demand Fair Reciprocity in Trade. By establishing supply-chain independence and demanding absolute reciprocity in trade, we shield Delaware's local workforce and guarantee that American innovation benefits American workers first.EducationEvery child's future is determined by thei