Nina Schwalbe

Nina Schwalbe earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University, a graduate degree from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Nina Schwalbe, MPH, PhD, is a public health expert, scientist, activists=, small business owner, a lesbian and a mom, who has spent her career working to ensure that everyone, everywhere has the right to health, happiness and the pursuit of justice. Nina is a sixth-generation New Yorker, has raised her children in the district, and knows firsthand what happens when systems fail. She has spent her career making large, complex organizations and government agencies work for real people under real pressure. She has negotiated lower prices for life-saving medicines, and ran a $7B program that distributed hundreds of millions of vaccines during COVID. She has learned that a healthy democracy depends on systems that work. From organizing local grassroots actions to international head of state summits, she has made progress – by bringing people together, listening to one another, and leading with empathy. At her core, Nina is a public health leader who has spent decades fixing broken systems, so people can live healthier, safer, more affordable lives. She’s done it on a global scale, under pressure, with real accountability, and now she’s bringing that competence home.

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?

My vision for office is to champion a healthy democracy - one where our government cares for the well being of its people, works efficiently and effectively, and secures the safety of future generations. I will focus on protecting what matters, including health care. The private insurance industry spends much of its time denying care, not providing it. I support a single payer system that would eliminate the profit motive from healthcare, end the nightmare of surprise bills and denied claims, guarantee comprehensive coverage, and reduce total healthcare spending by cutting out middlemen and regulating prices.My next priority is to rebuild stronger, providing resources for child care, elder care, mental health, preventive care); but we can only accomplish these goals if we enforce the Congressional power of the purse, and make government accountable and transparent. It's useless to pass budgets if the Executive Branch simply ignores them or slow-walks implementation. Congress must use oversight, withhold confirmations and, if necessary, go to court to ensure appropriated funds are spent as directed. Every major federal program should have clear key performance indicators (KPIs)—like number of people housed, vaccine coverage rates, or infrastructure projects completed—so we can track whether taxpayer dollars are actually delivering results.Lastly we need to prepare for tomorrow by investing in science; climate and pandemic preparedness; and human rights based foreign policy. We need to Impeach RFK Jr. and restore independence to our scientific and technical community. He and the HHS are destroying the health of all Americans—current and future generations—with his bunk science and crazy ideas. s where 95% or more of kindergartners were vaccinated against measles has fallen to only 28% in 2025. As the only Democrat in Congress with a PhD in Public Health, I will make it my mission to restore independence to the CDC, NIH, and FDA and ensure they are guided by science, evidence and data. And we need to start with vaccines, biosecurity, and pandemic preparedness and response.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have spent my career working to advance universal health coverage and access to health and medicines, including running large-scale HIV and TB prevention and treatment, vaccine, global reproductive health programs and a $7 billion USAID program that distributed hundreds of millions of vaccines around the world during COVID. Our country’s current system is a failure — we spend twice what other wealthy nations spend on healthcare, while leaving millions uninsured or underinsured and achieving worse health outcomes.

Having worked in refugee camps worldwide, I know our current approach to immigration is unjust and impractical. We need reform centered on family unity and pathways to citizenship, while protecting our community from ICE raids.