# Veterans in Congress projected to decline, but Dems bringing more first-time vets by 3-to-1 margin over GOP

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/veterans-in-congress-projected-to-decline-but-dems-bringing-more-first-time-vets-by-3-to-1-margin-over-gop/
- Published: 2026-11-11T18:20:39+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T20:07:10+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/veterans-congress-projected-decline-dems-bringing-more-first-time-vets-margin-gop
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Veterans’ share of Congress is projected to fall to about 15%.
- Democrats are gaining ground among veteran lawmakers.
- At least 11 Democratic veterans are projected as first-time House members.

## Summary

The incoming Congress is projected to have the lowest share of military veterans in decades, even as Democrats make substantial gains among newly elected veterans. The shift matters because it could change the balance of military experience in Congress and narrows a longstanding Republican advantage among veteran lawmakers.

Veterans are expected to hold about 15% of seats, down from 19% in the outgoing Congress and 27% in 2001. Of 79 projected veteran members, 33 are Democrats and 46 Republicans, compared with 28 Democrats and 72 Republicans in January 2025. At least 11 Democratic veterans are projected to enter the House for the first time, against four Republicans; one Colorado race remained uncalled, with Democrat Eileen Laubacher leading by about 3,300 votes.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.