"Trump administration's science and environment policies could come under extra scrutiny as Democrats gain in Congress."

"Results from the United States’ midterm elections are still pouring in, but a handful of candidates with backgrounds in science or technology have already nabbed seats in the US House of Representatives.

They include Elaine Luria, a US Navy veteran and nuclear engineer in Virginia, and Chrissy Houlahan, a former business executive with degrees in engineering, in Pennsylvania. Illinois saw victories by registered nurse Lauren Underwood, a former senior adviser to the Department of Health and Human Services, and clean-energy entrepreneur Sean Casten, who has degrees in engineering and biochemistry.

The four — all Democrats — are among roughly 50 candidates with science backgrounds who ran for the House in 2018, sparked in part by opposition to President Donald Trump; fewer than half of these novice politicians made it past the primaries to the general election."

Lauren Morello, Jane J. Lee, and Jeff Tollefson report for Nature November 6, 2018. [2]