In the current Congress, there are 91 military veterans currently serving in the House and Senate. 17 military veterans are in the Senate and 74 in the House. Gone are the days when 3 out of 4 members of Congress were military veterans. The generation that served in uniform in WWII has passed away, along with the generation that was subject to the draft which ended in 1973 when 75% of Congress was made up of veterans. Now it is 1 in 6 serving members with military experience.
The party divide is pretty stark. Just 28 of these veterans serving in Congress are Democrats, while 63 are Republicans.
There are 12 states that have no veterans among their Congressional delegations, Idaho, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
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In the current Congress, there are 91 military veterans currently serving in the House and Senate. 17 military veterans are in the Senate and 74 in the House. Gone are the days when 3 out of 4 members of Congress were military veterans. The generation that served in uniform in WWII has passed away, along with the generation that was subject to the draft which ended in 1973 when 75% of Congress was made up of veterans. Now it is 1 in 6 serving members with military experience.
The party divide is pretty stark. Just 28 of these veterans serving in Congress are Democrats, while 63 are Republicans.
There are 12 states that have no veterans among their Congressional delegations, Idaho, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
2022, Mid-Term elections may change all that. Of the 858 House candidates, 196 of those running for office claim some type of military experience, including general officers and enlisted members of the Guard and Reserve. In the Senate, 11 of the 70 running for office have prior military experience.
While this will not bring the number of veterans serving in Congress back up to 75% that existed up until the 1980s, it represents a significant number nevertheless. Veterans represent less than 10% of the population in general and have been on the decline for decades. The passing of the WWII generation had something to do with this along with the end of the military draft in 1974. Another factor is the much smaller size of the US military today versus the Cold War manning levels of the military which were about double what it is today.
If military veteran candidates do well in this election it could dramatically increase the number of veterans not just in Congress but also in state house races around the country as well.
Here is a list of the military veterans running for office in this cycle.
We will up date this list today to show how veteran candidates faired in this mid-term election
As of 0900 EST here is a breakdown of the results
Veterans running for the House and Senate won 75 races, lost in 90 races and 26 races are undecided.
Veterans already in office held their seats in the vast majority. Of the races already decided, 49 will return for another term while only 2 were unseated.
Alaska
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Chris Bye Liberarian Army No Lost
Alabama
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Barry Moore GOP Army Yes Won
Rick Neighbors Dem Army Lost
Arkansas
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Rick Crawford GOP Army Yes Won
Monte Hodges Dem Army Lost
Steve Womack GOP Army Yes Won
Arizona
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Eli Crane GOP Navy Undecided
Kelly Cooper GOP USMC Undecided
Ruben Gallego Dem USMC Yes Won
Mark Kelly Dem Navy Yes Won
California
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Mike Barkley GOP Navy Lost
Mike Cargile GOP Army Undecided
Salud Carbajal Dem USMC Reserve Yes Won
Jay Chen Dem Navy Reserve Undecided
Joe Collins GOP Navy Lost
Christopher Gonzales GOP Army Undecided
Mike Garcia GOP Navy Active/Reserve Yes Undecided
Wes Hallman GOP Air Force Undecided
Wes Hallman Dem Navy Undecided
Tamika Hamilton GOP Air Force Active/Reserve Undecided
Darrell Issa GOP Army Yes Won
Michael Earnest Kerr Green Army Lost
Ted Lieu Dem Air Force Yes Won
Michael Maher GOP Navy Undecided
Jimmy Panetta Dem Navy Reserve Yes Won
Rudy Recile GOP Army Lost
Mike Thompson Dem Army Yes Won
Aja Smith GOP Air Force Undecided
Max Steiner Dem Army Lost
Colorado
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Erik Aadland GOP Army Lost
Jason Crow Dem Army Yes Won
Steve Monahan GOP Navy Lost
Ike McCorkle Dem USMC Lost
David Torres Dem Air Force Reserve Lost
Connecticut
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Richard Blumenthal Dem USMC Reserve Yes Won
Mike France GOP Navy Lost
Florida
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Robert Asencio Dem Army Lost
Vern Buchanan GOP Air Force Yes Won
Neal Dunn GOP Army Yes Won
Scott Franklin GOP Navy Active/Reserve Yes Won
James Judge GOP Coast Guard Lost
Anna Paulina Luna GOP Air Force Won
Brian Mast GOP Army Yes Won
Cory Mills GOP Army Won
Corinna Robinson Dem Air Force Lost
Greg Steube GOP Army Yes Won
Carla Spalding GOP Navy Lost
Michael Waltz GOP Army Yes Won
Kimberly Walker Dem Army/Air Force Active/Reserve Lost
Calvin Wimbish GOP Army Lost
Georgia
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Val Almonordo Dem Army Lost
Sandford Bishop Dem Army Yes Won
Jonathan Chavez GOP Air Force Lost
Andrew Clyde GOP Navy Active/Reserve Yes Won
Bob Christian Dem Army Lost
Marcus Flowers Dem Army Lost
Michael Ford Dem Army Lost
Barry Loudermilk GOP Air Force Yes Won
Rich McCormick GOP USMC/Navy Won
Chris West GOP Air Force Lost
Hawaii
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Joseph Akana GOP Air Force Lost
Bob McDermott GOP USMC Lost
Conrad Kress GOP Navy Lost
Iowa
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Michael Franken Dem Navy Lost
Mariannette Miller-Meeks GOP Army Active/reserve Yes Won
Zach Nunn GOP Air Force Active/Guard Undecided
Illinois
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Mike Bost GOP USMC Yes Won
Eric Carlson GOP Army Lost
Chris Dargis GOP Army Active/Reserve Lost
Tammy Duckworth Dem Army Guard Won
Esther Joy King GOP Army Reserve Undecided
Thomas Lynch GOP Army Lost
Chip Markel Dem Navy Lost
Keith Pekau GOP Air Force Lost
Indiana
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Jim Banks GOP Navy Reserve Yes Won
Jim Baird GOP Army Yes Won
Larry Bucshon GOP Navy Reserve Yes Won
Thomas McDermott Jr. Dem Navy Lost
Greg Pence GOP USMC Yes Won
Jennifer-Ruth Green GOP Air Force Active/Reserve Lost
Gary Snyder Dem Army Active/Guard Lost
Todd Young GOP USMC Won
Kansas
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Bob Hernandez Dem Army Active/Guard Lost
Patrick Schmidt Dem Navy Active/Reserve Lost
Kentucky
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Brett Guthrie GOP Army Yes Won
Hal Rogers GOP Army Guard Won
Louisiana
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Brian Belzer Dem USMC Lost
Massachusetts
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Jake Auchincloss Dem USMC Yes Won
Jesse Brown GOP USMC Lost
Seth Moulton Dem USMC Yes Won
Donnie Palmer GOP Army Lost
Maryland
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Andy Harris GOP Navy Reserve Yes Won
Maine
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Jared Golden GOP Navy Yes Undecided
Ed Thelander GOP Navy Lost
Michigan
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Joseph Alfonso Dem USMC Lost
Mark Ambrose GOP Army Active/Reserve Lost
Tom Barrett GOP Army Lost
Jack Bergman GOP USMC Won
Steven Elliott GOP USMC Lost
John James GOP Army Undecided
Minnesota
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Tyler Kistner GOP USMC Active/Reserve Lost
Tom Weiler GOP Navy Lost
Missouri
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Jack Truman Dem Army Lost
Jacob Turk GOP USMC Active Lost
Mississippi
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Brian Flowers GOP Navy Lost
Trent Kelly GOP Navy Yes Won
Shuwaski Young GOP Army Guard Lost
Montana
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Ryan Zinke GOP Navy Undecided
North Carolina
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Christian Castelli GOP Army Lost
Ben Clark Dem Air Force Lost
Donald Davis Dem Air Force Won
Pamela Genant Dem Army Lost
Pat Harrigan GOP Army Lost
Scott Huffman Dem Navy Lost
Jeff Jackson Dem Army Guard Won
Nebraska
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Don Bacon GOP Air Force Yes Won
New Hampshire
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Don Bolduc GOP Army Lost
New Jersey
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Bill Pascrell Dem Army Yes Won
Mikie Sherrill Dem Navy Yes Won
Billy Prempeh GOP Air Force Lost
Nevada
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Mark Amodei GOP Army Yes Won
Adam Laxalt GOP Navy Undecided
Sam Peters GOP Air Force Undecided
Mark Robertson GOP Army Undecided
New York
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Francis Conole Dem Navy Undecided
Max Della Pia Dem Air Force Lost
Jackie Gordon Dem Army Reserve Lost
Steven Holden Dem Army Active/Guard Lost
Nicholas LaLota GOP Navy Won
Max Rose Dem Army Lost
Pat Ryan Dem Army Won
Steven Sams GOP Army Lost
Colin Schmitt GOP Army Reserve Lost
Brandon Williams GOP Navy Undecided
Thomas Zmich GOP Army Reserve Lost
Mike Zumbluskas GOP Army Lost
Ohio
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Eric Brewer GOP Army Lost
Mike Carey GOP Army Guard Won
Warren Davidson GOP Army Yes Won
David Esrati Dem Army Lost
Bill Johnson GOP Air Force Won
Matthew Kilboy Dem Navy Lost
J.R. Majewski GOP Air Force Lost
Max Miller GOP USMC Reserve Won
J.D. Vance GOP USMC Won
Brad Wenstrup GOP Army Reserve Yes Won
Oklahoma
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Jeremiah Ross Dem Army Guard Lost
Oregon
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Chris Mann GOP Army Lost
Alek Skarlatos Dem Army Undecided
Joseph Yetter GOP Army Active/Guard Lost
Pennsylvania
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Christopher Deluzio Dem Navy Undecided
Ashley Ehasz Dem Army Lost
David Galluch GOP Navy Lost
Chrissy Houlahan Dem Air Force Yes Won
Scott Perry GOP Army Guard Won
Guy Reschenthaler GOP Navy Yes Won
South Carolina
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Daryl Scott Dem Army Active/Guard Lost
William Timmons GOP Army Guard Yes Won
Joe Wilson GOP Army Won
South Dakota
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Brian Bengs Dem Air Force Won
Tennessee
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Mark Green GOP Army Yes Won
Texas
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Brian Babin GOP Air Force Active/Guard Yes Won
Dan Crenshaw GOP Navy Yes Won
Jake Ellzey GOP Navy Won
Pat Fallon GOP Air Force Yes Won
Tony Gonzales GOP Navy Yes Won
Wesley Hunt GOP Army Won
Ronny Jackson GOP Navy Won
Jimmy Leon GOP Army Lost
John Lira Dem USMC Active/Guard Lost
Morgan Luttrell GOP Navy Won
Troy Nehls GOP Army Yes Won
Dan McQueen GOP Navy Lost
August Pfluger GOP Air Force Yes Won
Keith Self GOP Army Won
Kyle Sinclair GOP Army Guard Lost
Utah
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Chris Stewart GOP Air Force Yes Won
Glenn Wright Dem Air Force Lost
Virginia
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Leon Benjamin GOP Navy Lost
Hung Cao GOP Navy Lost
Herb Jones Dem Navy Lost
Jennifer Kiggans GOP Navy Won
Elaine Luria Dem Navy Yes Lost
James Myles GOP Air Force Lost
Terry Namkung GOP Air Force Lost
Bobby Scott Dem Army Guard/Reserve Yes Won
Vermont
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Liam Madden GOP USMC Lost
Gerald Malloy GOP Army Lost
Washington
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Vincent Cavaleri GOP Army Reserve Lost
Joe Kent GOP Army Undecided
Dan Matthews GOP Air Force Reserve Lost
Keith Swank GOP Army Undecided
Wisconsin
Name Party Service branch Incumbent Won/Lost
Scott Fitzgerald GOP Reserve Yes Won
Mike Gallagher GOP USMC Yes Won
Derrick Van Orden GOP Navy Undecided
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