A record number of women veterans served in this Congress. Tuesday decides what’s next
Veterans are leaving Capitol Hill as Election Day arrives, including the Senate’s first female combat veteran.
Photo: Noclip / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
This Congress opened with the most women veterans ever to serve at once: nine, out of roughly 100 veterans in both chambers, according to a Military Times count. Tuesday’s midterm elections will decide how many of those seats stay in the hands of people who have worn the uniform.
The broader trend runs the other way. About one in six members of the current Congress served in the military, according to the Congressional Research Service, down from about three in four in 1973.
At least seven veterans are not seeking reelection this cycle, part of a record 55 incumbents stepping aside. Among them is the Senate’s first female combat veteran. Several departing veterans hold defense oversight roles that will not automatically pass to whoever wins their seats.
Whatever your politics, check your polling place and hours before Tuesday.
Women veterans are also on the ballot as newcomers. Air Force veteran Rebecca Bennett, a Democrat, is running in one of New Jersey’s most competitive House districts.
Why it matters to you: The people on the Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs committees shape everything from VA budgets to how the military handles sexual assault cases and women’s health care. Whatever your politics, check your polling place and hours before Tuesday at vote.gov, and look up who represents you on the committees that oversee your benefits.
