politics
Democratic military veterans run for Congress in 2026 midterms
Several former service members are seeking Democratic nominations for House and Senate seats. They cite their records while discussing patriotism and federal spending priorities.
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Several military veterans are running as Democrats for Congress in the 2026 midterms. They are campaigning in districts across South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, and Michigan. An Ipsos poll conducted earlier this year found 63 percent of Republicans saying the phrase "I feel proud to be an American" described them extremely well, compared with 14 percent of Democrats.
The same poll found 65 percent of Republicans saying "there's no place I'd rather live than the U.S." described them extremely well, compared with 19 percent of Democrats.
Candidates and their records Nancy Lacore, a retired vice admiral and former Chief of Navy Reserve, is running in South Carolina after her removal from that post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in 2025. She said patriotism is grounded in service and the effort to strengthen the country.
Leela Gray, a retired Army brigadier general, is running in Florida's 13th District against Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. She said trust between service members mattered more than party affiliation during her 30 years in uniform.
Views on spending and foreign policy Patrick Schmidt, a former naval intelligence officer and current Army Reserve member, is running in Kansas against Sen. Roger Marshall. He rejected the idea that Democrats need to reclaim patriotism. Noah Taylor, a former Army infantryman, is also running in Kansas.
He said questioning government actions is part of patriotism. Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, won the Democratic nomination in New Jersey's 7th District in early June. She said she states her patriotism explicitly on the campaign trail.
Matt Maasdam, a retired Navy SEAL and former military aide to former President Barack Obama, is running in Michigan's 7th District. He said funds spent overseas should instead address domestic infrastructure and services.
veteran candidates Democratic strategists noted that veteran candidates helped the party in the 2018 midterms. Former Navy helicopter pilot Mikie Sherrill and former CIA case officer Abigail Spanberger both won House seats that year and later became governors.
