Parties Turn to Military Veterans as Voters See Them as Trustworthy, Problem-Solving Team Players

Former Green Beret and Colorado Republican Congressional candidate Tyler Allcorn speaks with voters at a March forum during his winning primary campaign to become one of 180 veterans running for the House and the Senate. Courtesy of Allcorn For Colorado

Since the end of the U.S. military draft in 1973, the number of former service members elected to Congress has been steadily dwindling.

Before the mid-'70s, one out of every four senators and congressional representatives had served in the military. With 93 veterans—17 in the Senate, 76 in the House—seated with the 117th Congress in 2020, that ratio is now less than 1 in 6, the lowest percentage since at least before World War II.