Hundreds of 2026 Candidates Declare Support For Better Mental Health Policies
500+ join bipartisan Mental Health Now Campaign
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Inseparable Action, a national bipartisan advocacy organization working to ensure that mental health is easy to get and easy to afford, has announced today that more than 500 candidates running in 2026 have joined the Mental Health Now campaign, bringing the total number of participating candidates and elected officials to more than 2,000 since the campaign launched in 2022. The Mental Health Now Candidate program signals to voters that a candidate will prioritize mental health policy if elected.
“Change doesn’t happen without champions. We know that candidates who raise their hand in support of mental health go on to advance good mental health policy when elected,” said Bill Smith, Founder & CEO of Inseparable Action. “Mental Health Now exists to make sure voters recognize these candidates’ commitment and to ensure the candidates have the tools they need to hit the ground running for mental health when elected.”
This week, Inseparable kicked off Mental Health Awareness Month with the announcement of Care That’s Fair, a national campaign to end insurance barriers to mental health care. Mental Health Now further underscores the growing urgency to address a nationwide mental health care crisis. Nearly half of Americans with a mental health condition receive no treatment and more than 80 percent of people with a substance use disorder go without care due to mental health care being hard to get and hard to afford. Voters across key battleground states hold deep and widespread frustration with the nation’s health insurance system. The Mental Health Now campaign aims to turn that urgency into action by elevating mental health as a core policy priority.
To join the Mental Health Now campaign, candidates first need to sign a Statement of Support, which has historically included commitments by candidates to advancing policies that increase access to care, improving crisis response, and expanding youth mental health services. In 2026, strengthening the nation’s behavioral health workforce and establishing responsible safeguards for artificial intelligence (AI) have been added to the statement.
Candidates who declare their support for the campaign earn the Mental Health Now badge for use on social media and campaign materials; they also join the Mental Health Now network, receiving regular updates on mental health resources, including: polling and messaging insights; ready-to-use campaign tools; policy resources; and social media assets.
In 2024 alone, 500 Mental Health Now candidates won their elections. So far, in 2026, more than 500 candidates across federal, gubernatorial, state, and local races have already signed the pledge of support. New candidates at all levels of government can join now to stand with voters and lead on mental health.
For more information – including a map of the candidates – and to share our social media toolkit, visit Inseparable’s Mental Health Now webpage.
Inseparable Action is a 501(c)4 organization that mobilizes grassroots power to advocate for better mental health policy at the state and federal level.