95 Women Veterans Run for Congress in 2026, More Than Double 2024's 40
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 9
95 Women Veterans Run for Congress in 2026, More Than Double 2024's 40
2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 9
Summary
Ninety-five women with military backgrounds are running for House and Senate seats in 2026, up from 40 in 2024 and setting a record for female veteran candidates.
Fifty-six percent of those women are Democrats and 28 percent Republicans, helping explain the broader rise in Democratic veteran candidacies this cycle.
Only eight women veterans now serve in Congress—three Democrats and five Republicans—so this year's surge could lift that number to a new high in 2027.
Among 752 veteran candidates overall, 41% served after Sept. 11, 2001, making post-9/11 veterans the largest generation on the campaign trail.
Veterans remain overrepresented in Congress versus the public—about 20% of lawmakers versus 6% of U.S. adults—but their share is far below the 1969 peak of 402 members.