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Ala Stanford
Personal details
BornDecember 1970 (age 55)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
Byron Drayton
​
(m. 2020)​
EducationPennsylvania State University, University Park (BS)
Pennsylvania State University, Hershey (MD)

Ala Stanford (born December 1970)[1] is an American pediatric surgeon. She founded Philadelphia's Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. She is also the first African-American female pediatric surgeon to be trained entirely in the United States. In 2024, Stanford joined the University of Pennsylvania as a professor of practice in the Department of Biology, and as director of Community Outreach for research activities in the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation.

Stanford was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district in the 2026 election, having been endorsed by retiring incumbent Dwight Evans.[2] She was defeated by state representative Chris Rabb in the primary.[3]

Early life and education

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Stanford was born in Germantown, Philadelphia.[4] Following high school, Stanford enrolled at Pennsylvania State University for her undergraduate degree and medical degree. Upon graduating from the Penn State University College of Medicine, Stanford finished her residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.[5] Stanford subsequently became the first African-American female pediatric surgeon to be trained entirely in the United States.[6]

Medical career

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Following her fellowship at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Stanford joined the faculty at Temple University in September 2006. A year later, she became director of the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities at Temple University School of Medicine,[6] where she partnered with the Allegheny West Foundation.[7] In 2008, Stanford was recognized with the Shirley Chisholm Award from the Philadelphia Congress of the National Congress of Black Women.[8] She eventually left Temple University to become the director of pediatric surgery at Abington Memorial Hospital. While there in 2010, she performed life-saving surgery on a baby from Haiti.[9] Stanford also established Stanford Pediatric Surgery, LLC.[10]

During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stanford recognized racism in medicine amongst the distribution of vaccines. She left her role as a pediatric surgeon to work full time to address health disparities in Black communities during the pandemic. This led to the establishment of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium (BDCC), which combined a group of around 200 healthcare professionals.[11] She was also honored by the Philadelphia Flyers who teamed up with the BDCC.[12] In 2021, Stanford was named to Fortune Magazine's 50 Greatest Leaders (number 23) of the year and [13] and in 2021 was recognized as a Top 10 CNN Hero.[14][15][16]

In October 2021, Stanford opened the Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity, which offers primary care and behavioral health services to adults and children.[17] Later that month, she removed her name from consideration to be Philadelphia's next health commissioner.[18] She then served as director of region three at the United States Department of Health and Human Services from 2021 to 2024.[19] In 2024, Stanford joined the University of Pennsylvania as a professor of practice in the Department of Biology, and as director of Community Outreach for research activities in the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation.[20] She was also the recipient of an honorary degree from Haverford College.[21]

A 2026 review of tax documents by the Philadelphia Inquirer found that the Black Doctors Consortium failed to accurately report Stanford's salary for multiple years, totaling $962,000. The nonprofit's lawyer claimed that it was an "inadvertent omission", and that they are working to correct it with the Internal Revenue Service. In 2024, Stanford drew a salary of at least $400,000, paid for by the city of Philadelphia.[22]

Political career

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Main article: 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 3

Stanford declared her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district in the 2026 election on October 1, 2025.[23] She immediately received the endorsement of the seat's retiring incumbent, Dwight Evans.[23]

Her campaign was found to have used generative AI when responding to a candidate questionnaire in April 2026. Kellan R. White, a senior adviser to Stanford who edited the questionnaire, claimed that they only used Claude to edit for brevity.[24]

In March 2026, Stanford said of the Gaza genocide, "I know when you use the G-word how hurtful it is to a group of people. It's like someone saying the N-word around me. I don't want to hear that. And every time you shout that from the rooftops, how many people are you hurting?"[25][26] In April, she doubled down on her statement, saying, "For Israelis who've been accused of committing [genocide], it's hurtful for them."[26]

Stanford has denied taking campaign contributions from AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group,[27] but reporting by Ryan Grim of Drop Site News detailed that the organization has supported her with funds routed through 314 Action, a super PAC. 314 Action has spent a total of $2.6 million on Stanford's campaign as of April 21, 2026. Although the exact amount originating from AIPAC will not be known until future campaign finance disclosures, $500,000 has already been linked to a known AIPAC shell organization.[26] On April 29, Stanford withdrew from a debate hosted by WHYY-FM hours before it was scheduled to begin.[28]

In May, 314 Action was reported to have pulled TV ads in support of Stanford. According to two anonymous sources who spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the decision was made after the organization commissioned a poll showing that Stanford's support among voters had declined significantly following "a series of campaign missteps".[29] In a poll taken from April 30 to May 2, 39% of respondents named Israel or AIPAC as a negative association with Stanford, and 38% identified Stanford as the AIPAC-supported candidate.[30]

On May 19, Stanford lost the primary to state representative Chris Rabb, a political progressive considered to be running to Stanford's left.[3] She finished third in the primary, behind Rabb and state senator Sharif Street; both Rabb and Street criticized Stanford for her association with AIPAC.[3]

Awards and honors

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Personal life

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Stanford married Byron Drayton on March 30, 2020. The couple have five sons and one daughter from previous marriages, the oldest born in 1984 or 1985 and the youngest in 2009 or 2010.[35]

References

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  1. ^ McGrath, Maggie. "Dr. Ala Stanford And The Women Who, Ages 50 And Over, Are Leading The Fight Against Covid". Forbes. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  2. ^ Terruso, Julia (October 1, 2025). "Ala Stanford, surgeon who helped lead Philly's COVID response, is running for Congress with Dwight Evans' backing". Inquirer.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Orso, Anna; Janesch, Sam (May 19, 2026). "State Rep. Chris Rabb wins Democratic primary for Philly congressional seat, a decisive win for the progressive left". Inquirer.com. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  4. ^ Palmer, Seth (March 9, 2021). "Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Ala Stanford". Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  5. ^ "Ala Stanford, MD". Abington Health. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Accomplished pediatric surgeon Ala Stanford Frey to head Temple's Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities". Temple University. August 6, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "Community outreach starts with youth". Temple University. November 5, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  8. ^ "April 18, 2008". Temple University. April 18, 2008. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  9. ^ "Haitian toddler to get care at Abington Memorial". ABC 7. July 19, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  10. ^ Mitchell, John N. (October 7, 2017). "Historic surgeon opens Abington practice". Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Lopez-Lloreda, Claudia (April 23, 2021). "Meet the Black Physicians Bringing Covid Vaccines to Hard-Hit Philadelphia Communities". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  12. ^ "All Flyers players, staff to be fully vaccinated before start of season". ABC 6. September 15, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  13. ^ "Dr. Ala Stanford". Fortune. 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "CNN honors 10 men and women for making the world a better place". CNN Heroes. October 21, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  15. ^ Toner, Kathleen (June 24, 2021). "This CNN Hero is fighting to save lives in Philadelphia's communities of color through Covid-19 vaccination and testing". CNN. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  16. ^ Berkery, Patrick (November 24, 2021). "Doctor Recognized for Leading the Charge to Fight COVID in Philadelphia's Underserved Neighborhoods". Keystone News. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  17. ^ Feldman, Nina (October 27, 2021). "The Black Doctors Consortium's primary care clinic in North Philly is now open". WHYY-FM. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  18. ^ "Dr. Ala Stanford no longer vying to be Philly's next health commissioner, citing potential conflict". WHYY-FM. October 31, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  19. ^ Moran, Robert (April 26, 2022). "Ala Stanford appointed by President Biden to be regional director of Health and Human Services". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  20. ^ "Ala Stanford, National Leader in Health Equity, Joins Penn". University of Pennsylvania. June 24, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Mercier, Dominic (April 10, 2024). "Haverford Announces 2024 Honorary Degree Recipients". Haverford College. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  22. ^ Walsh, Sean; Orso, Anna (April 27, 2026). "Congressional hopeful Ala Stanford's Black Doctors Consortium was fueled by $13 million in public funding". Inquirer.com. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  23. ^ a b Newbill, Taleisha (October 1, 2025). "Dr. Ala Stanford announces run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 3rd District, endorsement from Rep. Dwight Evans - CBS Philadelphia". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  24. ^ Walsh, Sean (April 8, 2026). "Ala Stanford's congressional campaign used AI to respond to a candidate questionnaire". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  25. ^ Orso, Anna (March 18, 2026). "Ala Stanford is banking on a healthcare message to break through crowded Philly primary for Congress". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  26. ^ a b c Grim, Ryan; Andreone, Julian (April 27, 2026). "Despite Denials, AIPAC Is Now Funding Campaign of Ala Stanford In Philadelphia". Drop Site News. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
  27. ^ Orso, Anna (April 30, 2026). "How the Middle East and the word 'genocide' became the defining issue of the Philly congressional race". Inquirer.com. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  28. ^ "'Not participating': Dr. Ala Stanford exits WHYY debate hours before". NBC10 Philadelphia. April 29, 2026. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  29. ^ Orso, Anna (May 13, 2026). "A pro-Ala Stanford super PAC has pulled its ads from TV in the final stretch of the Philly congressional race". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  30. ^ Weigel, David (June 2, 2026). "Democratic primaries get an even bigger AIPAC problem". Semafor.
  31. ^ "Dr. Ala Stanford – The Philadelphia Award". The Philadelphia Award. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  32. ^ Tilitei, Leanna (August 12, 2021). "Comcast's Brian Roberts and Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium's Dr. Ala Stanford to receive Philadelphia Award". Philadelphia Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  33. ^ Murphy, Darryl (January 6, 2021). "'Real hero': Dr. Ala Stanford wins award named for late U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford". WHYY. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  34. ^ "Meet USA TODAY's Women of the Year". USA Today. March 28, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  35. ^ Patrick Gates, Kellie (April 23, 2019). "Philadelphia weddings: Ala Stanford and Byron Drayton". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
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