Democratic candidates with military backgrounds are weaponizing opposition to the Iran conflict on the campaign trail, turning the two-month-old war into a personal rallying cry that resonates with fellow veterans and cost-conscious voters alike.
Three military veterans running for Congress this cycle are making the Iran war central to their pitches. Matt Maasdam, a retired Navy SEAL from Michigan who once carried the nuclear football for President Barack Obama, works the issue into his public appearances. At a St. Patrick's Day parade last month, Maasdam encountered Iraq War veterans who expressed frustration about repeating old mistakes. "I was in Baghdad when I watched America rebuild all their roads. I want to see America rebuild our roads," Maasdam said, channeling the sentiment of voters who see overseas military spending as draining resources from domestic needs.
Maasdam is running for Congress in Michigan's 7th District, a swing seat currently held by Republican Tom Barrett. Meanwhile, Army veteran Cait Conley is challenging Republican Mike Lawler in New York's 17th District, a seat President Kamala Harris won in 2020. She has been meeting with veterans who worry about "getting thrust into yet another endless war" while domestic problems go unaddressed.
Retired Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore, fired from her position as chief of the Navy Reserve, is running for South Carolina's 1st District against Republican Nancy Mace. The Iran conflict triggered painful memories for Lacore, who completed multiple tours in Afghanistan. "I feel like I'm holding my breath," Lacore said, expressing alarm at the prospect of another "multidecade war."
All three candidates have seized on a consistent theme: the war is driving up costs for ordinary Americans. The message resonates. National gas prices have climbed to an average of $4.18 per gallon, the highest level since fighting began.
Democratic groups backing these candidates are amplifying the economic angle. VoteVets, a Democratic organization supporting all three veterans, has launched advertising that links the Iran conflict directly to gas prices in Iowa's Senate race and Wisconsin's 3rd District. According to AdImpact data, Democrats and allied groups have accounted for roughly two-thirds of more than 160 ads mentioning Iran since March 1.
Former Rep. Max Rose, an Army veteran who serves as senior adviser to VoteVets, said the Iran war validates what these candidates are already arguing. "It is further validation of their campaigns in the first place," Rose said. He was referring to the broader veteran recruitment efforts that have proven crucial in recent midterm cycles, helping Democrats recapture the House in 2018 before losing it again in 2022 to Republicans who also fielded strong military candidates.
In Maine, Democrat Graham Platner, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is using Iran opposition to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins. His campaign released an ad accusing President Donald Trump and Collins of sending Americans "back into another war, sending billions overseas." At a recent Portland rally with Senator Elizabeth Warren, voter Noah Letellier cited the conflict as a primary concern. "Our president said that we weren't getting into any wars, and he had to go out and start something, even though a lot of people don't want to see more Americans die," Letellier said.
The three main candidates remain skeptical of the tentative ceasefire currently in place. Their messaging reflects a deep unease within Democratic ranks about the trajectory of military engagement with Iran and its cost to American households struggling with inflation and economic anxiety.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Military credentials have become gold in politics, and these veterans are proving that opposition to endless war isn't just ideology, it's a lived experience that hits home with voters worried about their own wallets."
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