At least 57 veterans will serve in the 120th Congress, and another 20 are in races too close to call, with several veterans vying for another seat, according to an analysis by Military Times.
But even if all veterans win their seats in the nail-biters, the percentage of veterans serving in Congress is likely to be at its lowest point since at least the 1970s — at around 15%, down from 19% this year and significantly lower than the 27% in 2001.
In the 1970s, almost three-quarters of the members of Congress had served in the military.
As of Thursday, at least 21 Democrat and 32 Republican veterans have won seats in the U.S. House. Of those, at least 14 veterans will be new to the chamber while at least 43 will retain their seats.
At least 13 veterans will serve in the Senate, with Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., a former Alabama National Guard member, winning the state’s open Senate seat and one seat still undecided.
By mid-day Thursday, former Marine and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska trailed former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola by 637 votes with 78% of the ballots counted. Should Sullivan prevail, there would be 14 veterans in the upper chamber.
Notable newcomers to the House include retired Navy Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, who was fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last year and led her race for South Carolina by 3,300 votes as of Thursday — although the Associated Press had not yet called the race. And in a surprise upset, Fred Wellman, a West Point graduate and Army helicopter pilot, unseated Rep. Ann Wagner, D-Mo.
Wellman told Military Times Wednesday the chance to work in Congress was the continuation of a lifetime of service.
“I know what it’s like to serve, the challenges for our families and for our nation and I’m excited to apply those lessons to Congress,” Wellman said. “I learned at [age] 25 in Desert Storm the decisions we make as leaders can have life and death consequences and I will not forget that as a member of Congress either.”
Navy veteran Elaine Luria will return to Congress after defeating the Navy officer who beat her two years ago, Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va.
Army veteran Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island will return and as the current ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is likely to become the committee’s chairman.
Other veterans returning to the Senate include former Army infantry officer Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Army Reserve veteran Ed Markey of Massachusetts. If the election results are all certified, the Senate would have five former Army members, four former Navy personnel, one Air Force veteran and three former Marines – four if Sullivan wins.
According to the group With Honor Action, 258 military veterans were on the ballot this election, a record-breaking number that was roughly split into thirds between Democrats, Republicans and independents or third-party candidates.
That number was a 21% increase from 2024, although the rise in veteran candidates did not translate into an increase in the number of those elected to Congress.
At least 21 veterans were in races that were too close to call as of midday Thursday, including incumbents Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., Elijah Crane, R-Ariz., Joe Wilson, R-S.C., who is running against Air Force veteran Zyon Khalifa, and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., vying for her seat against retired Army Brig. Gen. Leela Gray.
On Thursday, officials with the Unite for Veterans Coalition, a grassroots advocacy group that promotes fair elections and the safeguarding of military and veterans benefits, said they are excited about the new Congress, which includes those who have participated in its events to commemorate Veterans Day.
“We know some really great veterans have been elected, and we’re proud to see our community being represented as they go forward to carry out the role of the American people,” spokesman and retired Marine Lt. Col. Joe Plenzler said Thursday.
