Iraq War Vets Run for Congress in Greater Numbers

May 28, 2008 — -- Twice as many veterans of the Iraq war are running for Congress than in 2006, and this year Republican candidates outnumber Democrats.

Although many of the veteran candidates still face primaries and some are long shots, the outcome in November could well increase the number of combat veterans serving in Congress, a group that has been dwindling since 2000.

The Iraq veterans are running at a time when public opinion favors U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to expand their 37-seat majority in the House, at least partly on the strength of that issue.

These veteran-candidates also will share the ticket with a presidential race that offers a sharp contrast: Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain supports a continued U.S. presence in Iraq, while Democratic front-runner Barack Obama and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton want U.S. troops withdrawn.

Veterans running for Congress also are split. Republican candidates are "pro-victory," says Kieran Michael Lalor, a Republican candidate in New York and the founder of Iraq Vets for Congress, a group of Republican House candidates. "No good comes from a precipitous withdrawal and a lot of good would come from a stable functioning democracy in the Middle East."

Despite the unpopularity of the war, it's unclear if a candidate's connection to Iraq will drive voters in November. The economy has surpassed the Iraq war as the issue of top concern to voters, points out Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the independent Rothenberg Political Report.

Veteran candidates "are going to have to prove they can speak on a wide variety of issues including the economy," he said. "They're going to have to run a real campaign, raise a whole lot of money and make the case why the incumbent should be fired."

At least 10 Democratic and 20 Republican Iraq veterans are running for the House, and none for the Senate.

Key races include several open seats:

•Minneapolis suburbs:Democrat Ashwin Madia, a Marine, will take on GOP state Rep. Erik Paulsen, a former aide to retiring Rep. Jim Ramstad. Madia, a lawyer, worked with Iraqi officials to develop the country's justice system.