Local pediatrician Dr. Annie Andrews of Mount Pleasant today launched her bid for the United States Congress as a Democrat.
Dr. Andrews is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina and has practiced medicine in Charleston for over a decade. She said she is running for Congress to tackle the “real problems facing the Lowcountry.”
“I believe the failure of our elected officials to care about our children is the biggest threat facing our children,” said Dr. Andrews. “Our kids don't have lobbyists or lawyers or million-dollar Super PACs fighting for them. And that's why politicians in Washington keep letting them down. As a pediatrician, families trust me to be honest with them about the challenges they face and the solutions to overcome them. I will be just as honest and forthright with the people of the Lowcountry.”
Dr. Andrews says her priorities will include getting past the COVID-19 pandemic, getting our economy back on track, and keeping our kids safely in school. She also wants to tackle local flooding and sea level rise by addressing the realities of climate change in the Lowcountry, prioritize the pressing infrastructure needs of the district, and curb gun violence, which is now the leading cause of death in children.
“We are fortunate to live in the Lowcountry but the challenges we face here are real and cannot be ignored,” said Dr. Andrews. “From tackling climate change and rebuilding our infrastructure to keeping our kids safe and in school, there is no shortage of work to do for our district. If the Lowcountry had a bipartisan bridge-builder as our representative, we could see real progress on these issues. Unfortunately we don't have a Congresswoman who is very interested in progress or local issues.”
Dr. Andrews says incumbent Congresswoman Nancy Mace is more focused on being famous than being effective.
“I don't know what job Nancy Mace is auditioning for but it's not to represent us,” said Dr. Andrews. “She's on national TV every day pushing extremism and conspiracy theories that do nothing to help the people of the Lowcountry. I couldn't care less about being famous, I just want to go to Washington to help the Lowcountry. I'm willing to work with anyone – from either party – to get things done.”
More About Dr. Annie Andrews:
Dr. Annie Andrews is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston and has been a pediatrician at MUSC since 2009. She cares for children and adolescents from all over the Lowcountry at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital. There she also developed and directed the Advocacy Curriculum for the Department of Pediatrics.
She is a gun violence prevention researcher and community advocate working to reduce the frequency of pediatric firearm injuries with a focus on secure storage counseling and gun safety education in the community. She is an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action, the largest grassroots gun violence prevention organization in the country. She is a frequent invited speaker at Children's Hospitals and Medical Schools across the country on topics related to child health advocacy and gun violence prevention. She is a member of the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Charleston County Medical Society. She serves on the Charleston County Medical Society School Health Committee which advises the Charleston County School District on matters related to child health. She is an appointed member of the City of Charleston Mayor's Health and Wellness Committee and a member of the Fall Lowcountry cohort of the Furman University Riley Institute's Diversity Leaders Initiative.
She received her MD from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and went on to complete her residency training in Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
She is married to Dr. Charlie Andrews, a Neurological Critical Care doctor at the Medical University of South Carolina. They have three incredible kids – Gracie, Henry, and Evelyn. They reside in Mount Pleasant.
You can learn more at www.DrAnnieAndrews.com.
