{{short description|Political action committee}} {{use American English|date=December 2017}} {{use mdy dates|date=December 2017}} {{infobox organization | name = 314 Action | type = Political action committee | logo = 314 Action Fund Logo.png | image_alt = Logo of 314 Action | founded = {{start date and age|2016}} | founder = Shaughnessy Naughton | website = {{URL|https://www.314action.org/}} }}
'''314 Action''' is a political action committee (PAC) that seeks to elect science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-educated Democrats to higher office in the United States.
The group gets its name from the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi ({{pi}}).<ref name="WashPo">{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Sarah |title=This group wants to fight 'anti-science' rhetoric by getting scientists to run for office |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/17/this-group-wants-to-fight-anti-science-rhetoric-by-getting-scientists-to-run-for-office/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref>
==History== The organization was founded in 2016 by researcher Shaughnessy Naughton.<ref>Yong, Ed (January 25, 2017). "[https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/01/thanks-to-trump-scientists-are-planning-to-run-for-office/514229/ Thanks to Trump, Scientists Are Planning to Run for Office]". ''The Atlantic''. Retrieved February 23, 2017.</ref><ref>"[http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-shaughnessy-naughton-qa-20170619-htmlstory.html 'It's important to have scientific voices heard at all levels of government'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010104445/http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-shaughnessy-naughton-qa-20170619-htmlstory.html |date=October 10, 2017 }}". ''Los Angeles Times''. December 15, 2017.</ref> Naughton is a business owner and a chemist who unsuccessfully ran for Congress as a Democrat in Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district in 2014 and 2016.<ref name= npr>Martin, Michel (February 26, 2017). "Fearing Climate Change Policy Under Trump, STEM Group Works To Get Scientists Elected". ''All Things Considered''. National Public Radio.</ref> She founded the group due to her worry about the election of Donald Trump and Trump's refusal to name any climate change experts to his cabinet, claiming that Trump is "anti-science".<ref name="WashPo" />
314 Action has stated that the organization was inspired by EMILY's List, a political action committee that seeks to elect pro-choice Democratic women to public office. The express goal is to increase the number of STEM-educated Democrats elected to public office.<ref>Livni, Ephrat (December 15, 2017). "[https://qz.com/889950/scientists-in-the-us-are-running-for-office-to-combat-the-science-denial-descending-on-dc/ Scientists in the US are running for office to combat the science-denial descending on DC]". ''QZ.com''. Retrieved December 15, 2017.</ref><ref name="WashPo" /> They have stated that they will only support Democrats, and will refuse to work with or contribute to any Republican candidate. Citing the Democratic Party's support of green politics, Naughton stated, "We felt we had to pick a team" arguing that science cannot remain above politics because "politics is not above bringing itself into science".<ref name="WashPo" /> {{As of|2024}}, they have exclusively supported Democratic candidates and organizations supporting them.<ref>{{cite web |title=314 Action Fund PAC to PAC/Party |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/314-action-fund/C00633248/pac-to-pac/2024 |website=OpenSecrets |language=en}}</ref>
In 2025, 314 Action announced plans to elect 100 new physicians to office by 2030.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Dan |title=Democrats launch effort to get 100 doctors into elected office |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/28/democrats-launch-effort-get-100-doctors-into-elected-office/ |access-date=11 July 2025 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=28 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The campaign, "Guardians of Public Health" is co-chaired by Hawaii Governor Dr. Josh Green and Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14).<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Lawrence |first=Jill |date=August 19, 2025 |title=Democratic Doctors Are Pouring Into Politics. Thank Trump and RFK Jr. |url=https://www.thebulwark.com/p/democratic-doctors-are-pouring-into-politics-trump-rfk-stem-congress |access-date=August 19, 2025 |website=The Bulwark}}</ref>
===2020 election=== {{main|2020 United States presidential election}} In 2020, 314 Action endorsed 19 candidates<ref>{{cite web |title=314 Action |url=https://ballotpedia.org/314_Action |website=Ballotpedia}}</ref> for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
In 2020, 314 Action stated their goal was to "shame" Republicans and their donors who did not take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, particularly Ron DeSantis, Mike DeWine, and Greg Abbott. Resistance to mask mandates, social distancing, lockdowns, and mandatory vaccinations were cited.<ref name="NBC">{{cite web |last1=Gomez |first1=Henry J. |title=Progressive group seeks to shame GOP governors and their donors over lax pandemic leadership |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/progressive-group-seeks-shame-gop-governors-their-donors-over-lax-n1278224 |website=NBC |date=September 2021 |access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref>
===2024 election=== 314 Action spent $1.2 million on ads backing Maxine Dexter in her bid to succeed Earl Blumenauer, who retired from his seat representing Oregon's 3rd congressional district.<ref>{{cite news |last1=VanderHart |first1=Dirk |title=Rush of outside spending turns heads in contest to replace US Rep. Earl Blumenauer |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2024/04/25/maxine-dexter-pac-money-3rd-congressional-district-race-morales-jayapal/ |access-date=5 May 2024 |date=25 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref> ''The Intercept'' reported that these funds were provided by the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, which opposed one of Dexter's opponents, Susheela Jayapal.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grim |first1=Ryan |date=3 May 2024 |title=AIPAC Is Secretly Intervening in Portland's Congressional Race to Take Down Susheela Jayapal, Sources Say |url=https://theintercept.com/2024/05/03/portland-aipac-susheela-jayapal-maxine-dexter/ |access-date=5 May 2024 |work=The Intercept}}</ref>
More than a third of its $1.4 million in receipts reported in April 2024 came from a single donation from Michael Bloomberg. Both of Dexter's main primary opponents, Susheela Jayapal and Eddy Morales, alleged that 314 Action was acting as a front for Republican and pro-Israel interests attempting to conceal their involvement in the election.<ref>{{cite news |title='We're asking for transparency': Candidates say 'dark money' is pouring into Oregon's 3rd Congressional District race |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/jayapal-morales-dexter-dark-money-funding-oregon-3rd-congressional-race/283-7889a115-df07-4dad-a1ef-6565745f10f3 |access-date=10 July 2025 |work=kgw.com |date=8 May 2024}}</ref> Bloomberg and Granieri are both strongly supportive of Israel and 314 Action's top three donors in April collectively contributed two-thirds of the group's funds.<ref name="OL">{{cite news |last1=Edge |first1=Sami |title=Michael Bloomberg among top donors to PAC supporting Maxine Dexter |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/05/michael-bloomberg-among-top-donors-to-pac-supporting-maxine-dexter.html |access-date=May 20, 2024 |work=The Oregonian |date=May 20, 2024}}</ref> AIPAC's involvement was confirmed on June 20, with $1.3 million disbursed by UDP to the anti-Susheela Jayapal PAC Voters for Responsive Government, $1 million to 314 Action, and $100,000 to EDW Action Fund.<ref>{{cite web |title=Schedule B for ALL Line #'s |url=https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00799031/1791484/sb/ALL |publisher=Federal Election Commission |access-date=21 June 2024}}</ref>
In 2024, 314 Action supported seven STEM candidates who were newly elected to Congress,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Endorsed Candidates, US House |url=https://314action.org/endorsed-candidates/us-house-210810/ |access-date=August 8, 2025 |website=314 Action}}</ref> including Rep. John Mannion (NY-22),<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |author1=Wyatt Myskow |author2=Georgina Gustin |author3=Phil McKenna |author4=Dennis Pillion |date=November 9, 2025 |title=Despite Likely Setback for Climate Action With This Year's Election, New Climate Champions Set to Enter Congress |url=https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09112024/climate-champions-set-to-enter-congress/ |access-date=August 8, 2025 |website=InsiderClimate News}}</ref> Rep. Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Rep. George Whitesides (CA-27), Rep. Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Rep. Herb Conaway<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=McAuliff |first=Michael |date=August 6, 2025 |title=Democrats recruit doctors for Congress after GOP health cuts |url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/politics-regulation/mh-314-action-health-cuts/ |access-date=August 8, 2025 |website=Modern Healthcare}}</ref> (NJ-03), Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29),<ref name=":0" /> and Rep. Kelly Morrison<ref name=":1" /> (MN-03).
===2026 election=== 314 Action endorsed Amy Acton in the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial race and Nirav D. Shah in the 2026 Maine gubernatorial race.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2025-12-16 |title=314 Action Fund Endorses Nirav Shah for Maine Governor |url=https://314action.org/2025/12/16/314-action-fund-endorses-nirav-shah-for-maine-governor/ |access-date=2025-12-17 |website=3.14 Action}}</ref> They endorsed Annie Andrews in the 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-18 |title=314 Action Fund Endorses Dr. Annie Andrews for U.S. Senate, as a Guardian of Public Health |url=https://314action.substack.com/p/314-action-fund-endorses-dr-annie |access-date=2026-01-22 |website=314 Action}}</ref>
==References== <references />
==Sources== * {{Cite news |last=Astor |first=Maggie |date=January 13, 2019 |title=An Ocean Engineer and a Nuclear Physicist Walk Into Congress .... |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/13/us/politics/scientists-congress.html |work=New York Times}} * {{Cite news |last=Goldberg |first=Emma |date=May 9, 2020 |title=Nightly Applause Is Nice, but Some Doctors Think Votes Would Be Nicer |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/09/us/politics/doctor-politicians-coronavirus.html |work=New York Times}} * {{Cite news |last1=Harmon |first1=Amy |last2=Fountain |first2=Henry |date=February 6, 2017 |title=In Age of Trump, Scientists Show Signs of a Political Pulse |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/06/science/donald-trump-scientists-politics.html |work=New York Times}} * {{Cite web |last=Koebler |first=Jason |date=January 10, 2017 |title=As a Response to Trump, This Group Is Drafting Scientists to Run for Office |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/314-action-drafting-scientists-to-run-for-office-to-oppose-trump/ |access-date=February 23, 2017 |website=Vice |department=Motherboard}} * {{Cite news |last=Marks |first=Joseph |date=May 20, 2019 |title=The Cybersecurity 202: These political candidates are running on their cybersecurity expertise |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-cybersecurity-202/2019/05/20/the-cybersecurity-202-these-political-candidates-are-running-on-their-cybersecurity-expertise/5ce200171ad2e54b957e7fb2/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}} * {{Cite web |last=Mukherjee |first=Sy |date=January 25, 2017 |title=Scientists Gear Up to Run for Office In a World of 'Alternate Facts |url=http://fortune.com/2017/01/25/brainstorm-health-01-25-intro/ |access-date=February 23, 2017 |website=Fortune}} * {{Cite web |last=Yong |first=Ed |date=February 28, 2018 |title=Here's How The Scientists Running for Office Are Doing |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/heres-how-the-scientists-who-are-running-for-office-are-doing/554444/ |website=The Atlantic}}
==External links== * {{official website}}
Category:science advocacy organizations Category:United States political action committees Category:Zionism in the United States