What to know about the candidates on Trump’s new CDC director short list

Published March 26, 2026 7:00am ET



Whoever is picked from President Donald Trump‘s short list to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be tasked with revitalizing the struggling agency and revamping the administration’s public health agenda.

Although the White House has not confirmed the names, multiple media outlets have reported that Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney, former Kentucky Gov. Dr. Ernie Fletcher, and Johns Hopkins University cardiologist Dr. Joseph Marine are under consideration for the top public health post.

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