Woodrow Augustus Myers Jr. (born February 14, 1954) is an American physician and politician from Indiana. He served as health commissioner for Indiana and New York City. He was the Democratic nominee for governor of Indiana in the 2020 election, losing to incumbent Republican Eric Holcomb.
In 1985, GovernorRobert D. Orr selected Myers as Indiana's state health commissioner.[3] He weighed 418 pounds (190 kg) when he took the job, but went on a liquid diet. After one year, he weighed 216 pounds (98 kg).[3][4][5] As Indiana's state health commissioner, he supported Ryan White, a teenager with AIDS who had not been permitted to attend school, in his legal challenge against the school board.[4] Myers also supported a law that called for recording the names of those infected with HIV/AIDS and quarantining "recalcitrant carriers" of the disease.[3] In 1987, PresidentRonald Reagan appointed Myers to the President's Commission on the HIV Epidemic.[6] He resigned later that year in the midst of infighting.[7]
Myers ran as a Democrat for Indiana's 7th congressional district against incumbent André Carson in the 2008 elections. He came in second place in the primary election, receiving 24% of the vote, while Carson received 46%.[10] In July 2019, Myers announced his candidacy for the 2020 Indiana gubernatorial election.[11] After his opponents (State Senator Eddie Melton and local business owner Josh Owens) dropped out of the race, he became the only remaining Democrat running for governor in Indiana.[12] He then became the party's official candidate on June 2, 2020.[13] His running mate was Linda Lawson.[14] He ran on a platform of investing in public education,[15] climate change reform,[16] and gun regulations.[17] Myers garned approximately 32% of the vote which marked the worst performance by a Democratic candidate for governor in Indiana history.[18]