The doctor is in the running: Ala Stanford’s prescription to win PA-3

To understand why Dr. Ala Stanford is running to become the next U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District, look no further than the Black Doctors Consortium at 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia. 

Inside the nationally recognized community health facility Stanford founded to serve the surrounding low-income neighborhoods, she made the case that Capitol Hill needs more people who have a visceral understanding of what their constituents experience – and what they need. 

“You need people who understand the people they’re fighting for,” Stanford told City & State in a sit-down interview. “The people making laws about our health care (and) subsidies have nothing to do with the people they’re representing, so they don’t know anyone that is feeling the wrath of what they’re doing.”

Stanford has first-hand experience with what Philadelphians in need go through – and, she made clear, if it weren’t for Title I funding and public scholarships, she wouldn’t be where she is now. As she looks ahead, Stanford said, she wants to help as many kids in Philadelphia as possible get opportunities like she had. 

“I grew up in Section 8 housing, and I needed food stamps and subsidies so that my parents could take care of us. I was the public school kid that needed Title I funding. I got GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) money from Congressman Chaka Fatah, which is how I paid for college, because I was poor enough and smart enough – that’s how I got the money,” Stanford said. “There’s tons of kids like that in Philly that haven’t had that opportunity.”

Stanford said she’s running for Congress to fight back against the “disastrous policies” of the Trump administration, with a focus on food programs, education and affordable housing – all things she knows through experience can improve public health outcomes and community development. 

“I’ve built all this stuff, but I started right here in this community, as an impoverished child, just wanting something more,” Stanford added. “I came to give back whatever I can and show that it is possible, even when your parents are teenagers – and even when you grow up in the projects – that you can do something meaningful and impact people’s lives.”

The 55-year-old Philadelphia native, who has been a practicing physician for more than 20 years, received national recognition in 2020 for founding the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which spearheaded efforts to test and vaccinate Philadelphians, particularly in low-income communities. 

In 2022, Stanford was appointed by President Joe Biden as the Health and Human Services regional director for the mid-Atlantic region, overseeing efforts to rebuild communities most affected by COVID. 

Now, Stanford is bringing that service mindset to a congressional campaign that received an immediate boost shortly after its launch in October 2025. 

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, whose retirement announcement in the commonwealth’s 3rd congressional district sparked this crowded Democratic primary, quickly endorsed Stanford over experienced legislators and party mainstays, including state Sen. Sharif Street. 

Transition time

Stanford, who developed a close working relationship with Evans before even considering a run for Congress, said she constantly “picked his brain” when she began working in the Biden administration, so it was no surprise that when the news broke that Evans was set to retire at the end of his sixth term, Stanford began receiving calls from colleagues about running. 

“All my friends from D.C. started calling me,” Stanford said, “saying, ‘It’s time. It’s time for your run. You know you’ve got the story, you’ve done the work, you’ve got federal experience, you have community roots, you’re an entrepreneur – and health care is one of the single biggest topics right now. You should run.’” 

Stanford, who is part of a crowded primary featuring candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds, including politicians and physicians, received a glowing endorsement from Evans. Not long after, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter endorsed Stanford, bringing another high-profile supporter to Stanford’s side. 

Nutter, who hadn’t met Stanford in person until she was putting the COVID-19 vaccine in his arm, said Stanford’s service mentality – particularly during the height of the pandemic – showed her true capabilities as a leader and public servant. 

“This is someone who just made a very personal, professional policy decision to do something in the midst of the worst pandemic since 1918, and organized doctors and others to help save people’s lives,” Nutter, who is a longtime friend of Evans, told City & State. “I think that’s extraordinary service to the public.” 

Nutter added that Stanford “coming after a great public servant like (Evans) is the kind of transition of leadership that we need, not only in the 3rd congressional district but in public life.” 

“She’s got the receipts of her work,” he said. 

Receipts on record

Despite her government stint, Stanford still considers herself a political “outsider” in the race – and she’s not the only one. 

The crowded Democratic primary field, which includes another physician in Dr. David Oxman, has already seen several political insiders and outsiders throw their hats into the ring. Heading into 2026, Stanford’s campaign reported having more than $467,000 on hand – more than half of that self-funded – similar to Oxman’s roughly $500,000, and trailing Street’s $700,000.  

But the issue of public health – which, Stanford emphasized, touches everyone’s life – is top of mind for many, and a source of passion for physicians. 

Stanford pointed to another community-driven event she had initiated outside her duties as a doctor. During a nationwide baby formula shortage in 2022, Stanford used her network and voice to urge people to donate any formula they could obtain. Using social media, Stanford shared her pickup location so anyone in need could come by for baby formula. 

“People in these communities were watering down their formula, and as long as it was white, they were still giving (the formula) to their kids, and their kids were getting sick,” Stanford said. “Because I couldn’t do it faster in my role in the federal government, I basically went to all my suburban friends and said, ‘Go get as much formula as you can.’

Stanford said that “within minutes” of her sharing a live video online, “people showed up to get formula for their babies,” which she touts as an example of her willingness to go beyond her politically-appointed position to have an immediate impact. 

“I knew that as a physician, I wasn’t doing anything to harm them, I was only helping … If you’re driven enough, you can make it work.”

Stanford said she is focused on the issues with the most tangible impacts – from housing and food security to education and healthcare – and looks forward to deploying existing infrastructure to address them. 

“If someone asked me, ‘Where are my receipts?,’ I could say somewhere in the range of the 100,000 people that I made sure had (healthcare) access during a time when your elected leaders were responsible for taking care of you,” she said. “I am a private citizen who recognized a problem and that there was no help coming, particularly for the most vulnerable, and stepped up after I waited for the people who represent to do something – and they did not.

“It’s sometimes (about) being a trusted messenger or a trusted individual that transcends all political lines,” she added. “When people see you as a voice and a person who can help them, that gives them hope – and that’s something that is uniquely me.”