Veterinarians hold onto seats in Congress

The veterinarians in the U.S. House of Representatives won re-election in the Nov. 6, 2018, midterm elections.

Dr. Kurt Schrader, a Democrat, bested his Republican challenger with just over 55 percent of the vote, winning a sixth term representing Oregon's 5th Congressional District. Dr. Ted Yoho, a Republican, prevailed over his Democratic rival with nearly 58 percent of the vote for a fourth term as Florida's 3rd Congressional District representative. Dr. Ralph Abraham, a Republican, won a third term as Louisiana's 5th Congressional District representative with 67 percent of the vote, easily overcoming his Democratic, Independent, and Libertarian opponents.

Dr. Schrader earned his veterinary degree in 1977 from the University of Illinois and spent more than three decades as a farmer and veterinarian before winning a seat in Congress in 2008. He is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Dr. Yoho is a 1983 graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. He owned several practices and worked as a large animal veterinarian prior to being elected to Congress in 2012. Dr. Yoho serves on the House committees on agriculture and foreign affairs.

Dr. Abraham graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1980 and practiced for 10 years. He graduated from LSU with a medical degree in 1994 and was a general practitioner for several years. In 2015, he was elected to Congress for the first time. Dr. Abraham is a member of the House committees on agriculture, armed services, and science, space, and technology.

Drs. Schrader and Yoho co-chair the Veterinary Medicine Caucus, and Dr. Abraham is a member along with 37 others.