The share of military veterans serving in the U.S. Congress is projected to fall to its lowest level in modern history when the 120th Congress convenes in January, according to an analysis by With Honor Action and Military Times. While the overall number of veteran legislators is declining, the partisan composition of the incoming freshman class shows a significant shift, with Democrats bringing roughly three times as many first-time veteran members as Republicans.
Veterans are expected to hold approximately 15% of seats in the new Congress, down from about 19% in the outgoing body. This figure is well below the 27% recorded in 2001, prior to the beginning of the war on terror. The decline comes despite a record number of veterans running for office in the 2026 election cycle.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican officials attribute the overall decline in veteran representation to the party’s significant losses in the 2026 midterm elections, rather than a lack of veteran recruitment. Four first-time veteran members are heading to Washington on the Republican side, and these newcomers have generally aligned with the administration on defense priorities, including support for Hegseth.
Republicans note that 12 Republican veterans were defeated this year, and 11 Republican veterans retired or did not seek re-election, compared to only two Democrats who did not seek re-election. This high turnover among Republican incumbents, combined with election losses, accounts for the reduction in the total number of veteran legislators. Some outgoing Republicans have faced criticism from within their own party for prioritizing ideological alignment over military experience, with one GOP lawmaker questioning Hegseth’s 'moral compass' and arguing that more qualified officials should lead the Pentagon.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic strategists and veteran candidates argue that the party’s success in recruiting first-time veterans reflects a response to concerns over military leadership and readiness under the current administration. At least 11 Democratic veterans are projected to win House seats for the first time, narrowing the partisan gap in veteran representation from 28 Democrats to 72 Republicans in the previous Congress to 33 Democrats and 46 Republicans in the incoming body.
Several of these new Democratic members, including former Navy Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore of South Carolina, have criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s personnel decisions and focus on cultural issues. Lacore, who was removed from her post as chief of the Navy Reserve in August 2025, stated she was never given a reason for her firing and argued that Hegseth’s leadership has damaged military readiness. Other Democratic veterans have signaled support for heightened oversight or impeachment proceedings regarding the Defense Secretary.
What the Numbers Show
According to Military Times data, the number of veterans in Congress has been in a long-term decline. In the outgoing Congress, there were 28 Democratic veterans and 72 Republican veterans. In the incoming 120th Congress, projections indicate 33 Democratic veterans and 46 Republican veterans, for a total of 79 veteran members.
This represents a drop from approximately 19% representation to 15%. The 2001 Congress had 27% veteran representation. Among the freshmen class, Democrats are bringing 11 first-time veterans, while Republicans are bringing 4. One race in Colorado’s 4th District between Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert and Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher, a retired Navy Rear Adm., remains uncalled, with Laubacher holding a 3,300-vote lead. Laubacher, a former Republican who switched parties in 2024, is an outspoken critic of Hegseth.
The Bottom Line
The decline in veteran representation in Congress marks a continued trend that has persisted since the post-9/11 era, despite record candidate recruitment in 2026. The narrowing of the partisan gap among veteran legislators suggests a shift in which party is successfully electing veterans to the House, driven largely by Democratic gains and Republican losses.
With the incoming Congress featuring fewer veterans overall but a more balanced partisan split, the institutional voice of military service in legislative debates may change in tone and priority. Key issues to watch include the confirmation and oversight of Defense Secretary Hegseth, as newly elected Democratic veterans like Nancy Lacore enter office with mandates to challenge current defense leadership, while Republican veterans continue to support the administration's defense agenda.