Democrats are turning to a tried-and-true campaign strategy as they try to win a House majority next year: recruiting and running military veterans.
In some of the 2026 midterm election’s top battleground districts, former Marines, Air Force officers, Navy pilots and Army combat veterans have emerged as leading Democratic House candidates, launching campaigns against Republican lawmakers that draw heavily on their records of service. Many of these Democratic candidates were recruited directly by party leaders in Washington, who have made a concerted effort to encourage veterans to seek elected office.
The military-centric strategy is a reprisal of Democrats’ approach during the last midterm elections under President Donald Trump. In 2018, the party relied on many veterans-turned-candidates on their way to gaining 41 House seats and the chamber’s legislative majority. Party leaders say they are deliberately copying elements of that strategy now, hoping to achieve a similar level of success next year.