A record 11 women veterans are headed to the next Congress
At least 10 women veterans won House or Senate races Tuesday, and with one senator not on the ballot, the 120th Congress will seat the most women who served in uniform ever.
When the 120th Congress convenes in January, at least 11 women veterans will hold seats, the most ever serving at one time, according to an early tally released Nov. 4 by With Honor, a nonpartisan group that supports veterans running for office. The previous high was nine.
The count includes at least 10 women veterans who won Tuesday, eight Democrats and two Republicans, plus Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who was not up for reelection. The figures were current as of 8:30 a.m. EST Wednesday, and nine races with a veteran candidate were still too close to call, so the numbers could move.
The pipeline explains the jump. According to With Honor, 95 women veterans ran for Congress in 2026, up from 40 in 2024, and 38 of the 258 veterans on general election ballots were women, compared with 21 two years earlier.
Veterans overall are moving the other way. At least 69 veterans won seats Tuesday, 65 in the House and four in the Senate, and at least 13 are new to Congress. With Honor projects veterans will make up at least 15% of the 120th Congress, down from 19%, with 46 Republicans and 33 Democrats compared with 72 Republicans and 28 Democrats now.
Veterans learn early that the person next to you matters more than their politics.
With Honor co-founder and CEO Rye Barcott framed the moment this way: “Veterans learn early that the person next to you matters more than their politics.”
Mission takeaway: Whatever your party, a bigger bench of women who have worn the uniform means more lawmakers with firsthand experience of military life and the VA. Once results are certified, find out who represents you, and get your issues in front of that office early; new members set their priorities in the first months.
