Veterans will hold at least 79 seats in the 120th Congress, with at least 11 women veterans, the most ever to serve at one time.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At least 69 military veterans won election to Congress on Tuesday, 65 in the House and 4 in the Senate, according to With Honor Action data as of 8:30 a.m. EST. At least 13 of the winners are new to Congress. Another 9 races with a veteran candidate remain too close to call.
Including the ten veteran senators who were not up for election this year, veterans are projected to make up at least 15% of the 120th Congress, which would be a decline from 19%. The number of veterans in Congress who have taken the With Honor pledge will likely rise slightly from the current 50 members.
Women veterans gained ground at every stage of the 2026 election. At least 95 ran for Congress, more than double the 40 who ran in 2024, and 38 of the 258 veterans on the general election ballot were women, up from 21 in 2024. At least 10 won on Tuesday: 8 Democrats and 2 Republicans. They join Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who was not up for reelection. When the 120th Congress convenes in January, at least 11 women veterans will serve, up from nine and the most in history. Candidate and primary figures come from With Honor data previously reported by Politico and Stars and Stripes.
The incoming class of veterans to the 120th Congress will be more evenly split between the parties. At least 46 Republican veterans and 33 Democratic veterans will serve in the 120th Congress, compared with 72 Republicans and 28 Democrats in the 119th.
As trust in institutions falls, Americans still trust veterans. With Honor-Gallup research released in July found that 70% of Americans have confidence in military veterans, and 77% trust people with military experience to perform well in elected office.
When the 120th Congress convenes, With Honor Action will work with returning and newly elected veterans in the House to grow the bipartisan For Country Caucus. Barcott is available for interviews through the week; contact Susan Forbes at press@withhonor.org.
“Veterans learn early that the person next to you matters more than their politics. On Tuesday, voters sent a more evenly divided class of Republican and Democratic veterans to Washington, and helped produce the most women veterans ever to serve at one time. Many of them came up through a military that didn’t always make room for them. They earned it anyway,” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Co-Founder and CEO and author of Courage Can Save US. “We’re going to work with all of them to grow the For Country Caucus, because the next two years will demand exactly what they learned in uniform: put the mission first and don’t leave anyone behind.”
About With Honor Action
With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund III. Learn more about our work at WithHonor.org.
Contact: Susan Forbes, press@withhonor.org
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SOURCE With Honor Action
