Around this time 20 years ago, Democrats were in a tough spot: Republicans controlled the U.S. House and Senate; a Republican president had just won a second term; and Democrats struggled to agree among themselves on a possible comeback strategy.
In the months that followed, however, the party focused considerable energy on a specific priority: recruiting veterans. As The New York Times reported in February 2006, “For Democrats struggling to win back Congress, it seemed like the most obvious of election strategies: erase the Republican advantage on national security by running real-life combat veterans as candidates.”
The contingent of Democratic candidates who’d served in the military became known as the Fighting Dems, and several of them won amid a “blue wave” cycle, fueled in part by public opposition to the war in Iraq. (The 2006 list includes some familiar names, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee last year.)
Two decades later, the circumstances are somewhat similar — U.S. wars in the Middle East are over, but Republicans control Capitol Hill and a GOP president is in his second term — and Democrats appear to be borrowing a page from their old playbook. Politico reported on a Democratic recruit in a key New York congressional district.
Chris Gallant is a Black Hawk pilot, Army veteran, national guardsman, former air traffic controller and union leader and volunteer firefighter. He’s also a gay millennial, political newcomer and Long Island native. Now, Gallant is looking to prove he can turn that stellar resume into a competitive political campaign. He’s launching a bid Tuesday to oust Rep. Nick LaLota and help the Democratic Party retake the House majority in 2026.
“My entire life’s been kind of grounded in service,” Gallant told Politico. “I’ve always placed the mission first throughout all of my careers, and I’m doing the same now. This is what I want to do to make Washington and government work again for the people.”
It’s far too early in the process to gauge Gallant’s chances. While LaLota’s voting record is arguably to the right of his competitive Long Island district, the Republican incumbent has raised a lot of money, and it’s been a while since Democrats have held this seat. But the larger point is that Gallant is hardly alone. The Times reported over the weekend: One candidate in Michigan would be the first Navy SEAL to serve in the House as a Democrat. Another Democrat in Arizona is a former Marine drill instructor seeking to be the first woman from the Marines to serve in the House. A third Democrat in New Jersey is a former Navy helicopter pilot whose campaign logo incorporates pilot wings. The Democratic Party is turning to an unusually large crop of military veterans in an effort to flip the House in 2026, recruiting and promoting veterans in some of the top battleground districts. There’s still plenty of politicking left to do, and we don’t yet know how many of these recruited military veterans will fare in upcoming primaries. But as Democrats look ahead, their strategy at least has a decent track record.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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