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Election Day week is here, and there are plenty of implications for the military. Stay tuned to this page for live updates about the election.
The race for president between GOP nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris could mean big changes in military policies.
Dozens of veterans are also vying for seats in the House or Senate, with marquee races that could determine which party controls either chamber. Some of Congress’ biggest names in military and veterans policy are also facing tough reelection battles.
Trump Wins, Senate Flips
8:33 a.m. Nov. 6, 2024
Early morning Wednesday, GOP presidential nominee former President Donald Trump secured enough electoral college votes to return to the White House, defeating Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
Party control of the House is still up for grabs, but Republicans have secured enough seats in the Senate for a solid majority.
Republicans’ path to victory in the Senate was helped by Republican Tim Sheehy, a Navy SEAL veteran, defeating Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and was a key player in shepherding the PACT Act to law. The Associated Press called the race early Wednesday.
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., a Senate Armed Services Committee member, was also able to hang onto her seat against a surprisingly strong challenge from independent candidate Dan Osborn, a Navy and Army National Guard veteran.
Pivotal House races that remain too close to call include in Nebraska, where Republican Rep. Don Bacon, an Air Force veteran and key member of the House Armed Services Committee, is currently leading his Democratic challenger, and in Virginia, where Democratic Army veteran Eugene Vindman is currently leading Republican Army veteran Derrick Anderson.
— Rebecca Kheel
Results Keep Coming
7:24 a.m. Nov. 6, 2024
Dozens more races have been called by The Associated Press.
Here are the veteran incumbents who won reelection:
— Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., a Marine Corps veteran who currently serves as chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee
— Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., an Air Force veteran
— Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., an Army veteran
— Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, an Army veteran
— Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., a Navy Reserve veteran
— Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, an Army Reserve veteran
— Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, an Army veteran
— Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., an Army veteran
— Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., an Army National Guard veteran
— Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., an Army veteran
— Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., an Army veteran
— Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., an Army Reserve veteran
— Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, an Army veteran
— Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., an Army National Guard veteran
— Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., a Navy veteran
— Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., an Army veteran
— Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Texas, a Navy veteran
And the veteran challengers who lost:
— Katy Stamper, a Democratic Army veteran who challenged Rep. Loudermilk in Georgia
— John Sitka III, a Republican Navy veteran who challenged Rep. Scott in Virginia
— Rhonda Hart, a Democratic Army veteran who ran for the House in Texas
— Blane Miller III, a Democratic Navy veteran who challenged Rep. Harris in Maryland
— Chad Koppie, a Republican Army veteran who ran for the House in Illinois
— Thomas Zmich, a Republican Army Reserve veteran who ran for the House in New York
— Gregg Sadwick, a Republican Navy veteran who ran for the House in New York
— John Fabbricatore, a Republican Air Force veteran who challenged Rep. Crow in Colorado
— Rodney Govens, a Democratic Army veteran who challenged Rep. Crawford in Arkansas
— Justin Dues, a Democratic Marine veteran who ran for the House in North Carolina
— Michael Van Meter, a Republican Navy veteran who ran for the House in Virginia
— Theodore Liddell, a Republican Army veteran who ran for the House in New Jersey
— Christopher Dziados, a Democratic Army veteran who challenged Reschenthaler in Pennsylvania
Patrick Harrigan, a Republican Army veteran, defeated Ralph Scott Jr., a Democratic Air Force veteran, in the race to replace retiring Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. And Trygve Hammer, a Democratic Marine Corps Reserve veteran, lost in the race to replace outgoing Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.
— Rebecca Kheel
Military Going Ahead with Unarmed Missile Test on Election Night
10:07 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
Department of the Air Force officials told Military.com that a previously scheduled test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on the California coast is still planned for Election Night.
On Friday, Vandenberg Space Force Base posted a statement announcing the nuclear-capable missile would launch sometime between 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time on Nov. 5 and 5:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Nov. 6.
“The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent,” the statement from Vandenberg Space Force Base read. “This test is routine and was scheduled years in advance.”
Jennifer Green-Lanchoney, a spokesperson from Vandenberg’s Space Base Delta 30, told Military.com that the missile “is still scheduled to launch tonight” and confirmed that Air Force Global Strike Command said the election had nothing to do with the scheduling of the test.
The test of the nuclear-capable missile comes as bomb threats from Russian-tied email accounts ended up closing a handful of Democratic polling locations in the U.S. state of Georgia.
— Thomas Novelly
More Races Called
9:25 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
More results are trickling in as polls continue to close and more ballots are counted. Here are the latest calls from AP in races with veterans.
Incumbent veterans who have won include:
— Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., an Air Force veteran who is poised to be the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee if Republicans win control of the Senate
— Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., an Army veteran
— Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., a Navy veteran
— Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a Navy veteran
— Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, Air Force Reserve
— Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., a Marine Corps veteran
— Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a Marine Corps veteran
— Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a Navy veteran
— Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., an Army veteran
— Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., a Marine Corps veteran
— Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., an Army veteran
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, a Navy veteran
— Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, an Air Force veteran
— Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., an Army veteran
— Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., an Air Force veteran
Sheri Biggs, a Republican and Air National Guard veteran, also won the race to replace retiring Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C.
Challengers who have lost include:
— Ty Pickins, a Democrat and Army veteran who challenged Wicker
— Maura Keller, a Democrat and Army veteran who ran for the House in Georgia
— Matthew Corey, a Republican and Navy veteran who challenged Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
— John Deaton, a Republican and Marine Corps veteran who challenged Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
— Jonathan Chavez, a Republican and an Air Force veteran who ran for the House in Georgia
— Shawn Harris, a Democrat and Army veteran who ran for the House in Georgia
— Jerry Torres, a Republican and Army veteran who ran for the House in Florida
— Eric Blankenburg, a Republican and Air Force veteran who ran for the House in North Carolina
— Ernest Lineberger III, a Democrat and Navy veteran who ran for the House in Texas
— Michael Young, a Republican and Air Force veteran who ran for the House in Ohio
— Bob Christian, a Democrat and Army veteran who challenged Rep. McCormick in Georgia
— Deborah Pickett, a Democrat and Army Reserve veteran who ran for the House in Indiana
— Alfe Goodwin, a Republican and Army veteran who ran for the House in Pennsylvania
— Derrick Holder, a Democrat and Marine veteran who challenged Rep. Baird in Indiana
— Jerrad Christian, a Democrat and Navy veteran who ran for the House in Ohio
— Eugene Yu, a Republican and Army veteran who ran for the House in Georgia
— David Robinson II, a Democrat and Army veteran who challenged Rep. Wilson in South Carolina
— Alan Swain, a Republican and Army veteran who ran for the House in North Carolina
— Michael Kripchak, a Democrat and Air Force veteran who ran for the House in Ohio
— Kenneth Mitchell, a Democrat and Army veteran who ran for the House in Virginia
— Ruben Vargas, a Republican and Air Force veteran who ran for the House in New York
— Michael Zumbluskas, a Republican and Army veteran who ran for the House in New York
— Gonzalo Duran, a Republican and Marine Corps veteran who ran for the House in New York
— Rebecca Kheel
First Results Roll In
7:58 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
Polls have started to close, and some congressional races in which veterans are running have already been called by The Associated Press.
Rep. Jim Banks, a Republican and Navy Reserve veteran, easily won his race to be Indiana’s next U.S. senator, according to the AP. In recent years, Banks has become one of the most prominent members of Congress combating so-called “wokeness” in the military as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s personnel subpanel.
Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., an Air National Guard veteran; Hal Rogers, R-Ky., an Army National Guard veteran; Michael Waltz, R-Fla., an Army veteran; Brian Mast, R-Fla., an Army veteran; Greg Steube, R-Fla., an Army veteran; Scott Franklin, R-Fla., a Navy Reserve veteran; and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., an Air Force veteran, all won their races for reelection.
Meanwhile, several veterans challenging incumbents lost, including Christopher Eddy, a Republican and Air Force veteran who ran against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.; Robert Rochford, a Republican and Navy veteran, who challenged Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla.; Jay McGovern, a Democrat and Navy veteran who ran against Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla.; and Thomas Chalifoux, a GOP Army veteran who ran against Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla.
— Rebecca Kheel
Bomb Threats Originating from Russia Temporarily Closed Georgia Polling Places
7:51 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
Bomb threats to roughly a half dozen heavily Democratic precincts in Georgia that temporarily shut down some polling places originated from Russian email accounts, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday.
Addressing reporters at a press conference, Raffensperger said that, after threats were made, law enforcement officials responded to all affected locations. Two precincts temporarily suspended voting for about 30 minutes, but they resumed operations as normal, he said.
“We are pretty quick on our feet, and we catch them every time. It’s what their whole motive is to try to destabilize America,” Raffensperger said. “They probably need better leadership and better direction.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a statement earlier in the day saying none of the threats were determined to be credible.
“Election integrity is among the FBI’s highest priorities,” the statement read. “We will continue to work closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to respond to any threats to our elections and to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote.”
The bomb threats largely targeted polling places near Atlanta, in Fulton and DeKalb counties, which lean Democratic. Gwinnett County, in the larger Atlanta suburbs, also received threats.
— Patricia Kime
No Request from DC for National Guard Troops Yet as States Stand Ready
5:38 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser had yet to ask for National Guard assistance on Tuesday — some 25,000 National Guard troops flooded the District of Columbia after the Jan. 6 attacks. But National Guard officials said at a news conference Monday that 24 states were ready to send Guard troops to the District, if necessary, in the run-up to the certification of the election and the inauguration.
Col. Jean Paul Laurenceau, chief of future operations for the National Guard Bureau, told reporters, “We’re here to support D.C. with sustainment, lodging, transportation — anything they need to prepare for this mission.”
Meanwhile, Bowser said she was saddened by the need to throw a security blanket over downtown areas to protect the White House, the Capitol and local businesses against potential violence on Election Day as well as in the 11 weeks leading up to the inauguration.
“I feel very sad that this is the state of things, to be honest with you,” Bowser, who often sparred with former President Donald Trump, said at a news conference Monday with District Police Chief Pamela Smith.
Smith has ordered all 3,300 District police officers to work 12-hour shifts through Election Day and possibly beyond. “There will be no tolerance for violence in our city, no destruction or any unlawful behavior,” Smith said.
To guard against violence, some shops in downtown areas were boarded up as they were after the Jan. 6 riots in 2021, but streets in downtown areas during the daytime Tuesday were mostly empty, with the exception of tourists visiting the National Mall and the monuments.
— Rich Sisk
More States Move National Guard from Standby to Active Orders
5:26 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
By late Tuesday afternoon, 14 states across the country had placed National Guardsmen on active state orders — a small bump from Monday evening.
Military.com reported Monday that troops in 10 states were on active state orders, accounting for around 126 service members. Four more states have since switched from standby to active, making the total list of states: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Washington. That now accounts for about 250 personnel on state orders.
“A little less than half of those are assisting with cybersecurity missions,” Paul Swiergosz, a National Guard Bureau spokesperson, told Military.com. “The rest are providing general support (for example: security, traffic control, commodity distribution, or administration) based on local requests for assistance.”
Swiergosz added that there are three states – Colorado, Florida and Nevada — as well as Washington, D.C., on “some possible standby missions,” accounting for another 85 Guardsmen standing ready.
— Thomas Novelly
White House Fenced Off as DC Preps for Election Outcome
4:44 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
The 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was sealed off behind 8-foot fencing and signs saying “No Trespassing” and “Police Line Do Not Cross” on an Election Day fraught with security concerns in the nation’s capital.
Behind the fencing, work crews were constructing reviewing stands for the eventual parade in honor of whoever wins the closely contested race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
The security perimeter extended across Pennsylvania Avenue and about halfway into Lafayette Square, often the scene of demonstrations and protests in front of the White House, but 71-year-old Don Folden, a frequent visitor to the park, was unfazed.
Folden, who calls himself a “Truth Conductor,” had a lawn chair set up behind a boombox blaring rap music and a sign that said “Stop Hating Each Other Because You Disagree.” Folden said he was on a mission to get people to “start talking to each other” rather than “at each other.”
Despite the heightened security concerns, the White House was still open for visitors, and a long line of tourists waited along the fence line on 15th Street NW past the Treasury Department. They were serenaded by a guy under an umbrella against the afternoon sun who sang hymns to glory and had a sign saying “John 3:16.”
— Rich Sisk
What Experts Say Veterans and Their Families Should Know on Election Day
1:36 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
Here’s the advice three experts shared with Military.com on what veterans and their families should know as they cast their ballots this Election Day.
First, be sure to vote, and make sure your family, friends and others in your social circle do too, said Todd Connor, a Navy veteran and founder of Veterans for All Voters, a nonpartisan organization that aims to energize — and empower through election reforms — veteran and non-military voters alike.
“Promote the fact that you’ve voted on social media — not to talk about who you voted for, necessarily, but to talk about the fact that you have voted,” Connor said. “Because [in] our country, the biggest challenge we face … is actually just total disengagement, particularly amongst young people, with our political process.”
Also, be patient: It could take days or weeks to know who won the election, especially as military overseas ballots continue to roll in, he said.
Sarah Streyder, a military spouse and executive director of the Secure Families Initiative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that encourages military families to vote, said that military and veteran voters should understand that their right to vote is protected. Stay in line to vote even when a polling location is set to close, and ensure your overseas ballot has been counted through resources like Vote.org or SFI.
“You send in your ballot; you think you’ve done the thing. We strongly, strongly encourage every single absentee voter to confirm that their ballot arrived and is being counted,” Streyder said.
Kris Goldsmith, a combat veteran and founder of Task Force Butler, a nonprofit organization that trains veterans to research and counter extremism, said that avoiding X — the website formerly known as Twitter — is a great idea for all veterans.
“Twitter is being used by its owner, Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and America’s biggest defense contractor, to spread lies about a stolen election,” Goldsmith said. “He is working with the Trump campaign to undermine faith in our democracy and to undermine the values that we all swore an oath to defend. And that is, I think, the No. 1 danger that we have for veterans, or everybody else, here on Election Day.”
This election season is also filled with anxiety and uncertainty, Goldsmith said. For some veterans, that compounds difficult mental and emotional issues that they may already be experiencing.
“I want to encourage veterans to remain grounded, and if they feel that they are not, they should not hesitate to call 988, and press one to reach the Veterans Crisis Line,” he said.
— Drew F. Lawrence and Thomas Novelly
Navy Spouse’s Ballot Among Those Challenged in Pennsylvania
12:27 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024
At least one military spouse’s ballot was among the thousands that right-wing activists challenged in Pennsylvania ahead of the election, with some of those challenges not expected to be resolved until after Election Day.
About 4,000 mail-in ballot applications, mostly from overseas voters, were challenged ahead of Friday’s deadline to do so in what Pennsylvania Department of State officials called a “bad-faith” effort to undermine confidence in the elections, according to multiple reports. Pennsylvania law allows private citizens to challenge a voter’s eligibility at a fee of $10 per voter. The challenges were based on change-of-address forms filed with the U.S. Postal Service, which voting rights advocates say is a flawed way to determine voter eligibility.
One of the challenged ballots came from Ana Harley, who identified herself at a Friday meeting of the Chester County elections board as a Navy spouse. A temporary change of address does not last long enough to cover the length of a duty station assignment, so she files a permanent change of address every time she and her husband are required to move, she said at a hearing about the ballot challenges.
“I’m here in person because I feel an obligation to speak out about these unsubstantiated allegations against me and others,” Harley said at the hearing.
The Chester County board ultimately voted to reject all of the challenges, including against Harley. But several other Pennsylvania counties have yet to hold similar hearings and decide on the fate of the challenges. Election boards have until this coming Friday to hold hearings on the challenges.
Military and overseas ballots have been a more and more frequent target of conservatives looking to challenge election results if Trump loses. Republicans also filed lawsuits in several key swing states, including Pennsylvania, seeking to block overseas ballots from being counted, though the lawsuits have been dismissed.
— Rebecca Kheel
Howard University Preps Security for Harris Election Watch
10:41 a.m. Nov. 5, 2024
Streets were blocked off and barricades were put up Tuesday at Howard University, the alma mater of Vice President Kamala Harris in northwest Washington, D.C., where the Harris campaign will hold its Election Night vigil to await the vote count.
In a safety and security post on its website, the university said, “Both uniformed and covert officers — along with intelligence, surveillance, controlled access points, and rapid response capabilities — will be in place to address any situations that may occur.”
In a separate statement, Howard President Ben Vinson III said, “We are on the eve of a crucial moment in our nation’s history, a moment rooted in Howard’s history because of our alumna, presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Her journey through Howard is leading to a full circle moment with her return to campus on Election Night.”
— Rich Sisk
Election Day Is Here. These Are the Races to Watch.
10:20 a.m. Nov. 5, 2024
Good morning, it’s finally Election Day.
Beyond the presidential race, there are several key congressional races we’re watching that could affect military and veterans policy.
In Montana, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, a Democrat, is up against Republican candidate Tim Sheehy, a Navy SEAL veteran who has come under increasing scrutiny for a gunshot wound he claims he suffered in Afghanistan. Polls in recent months have shown Sheehy pulling ahead of Tester.
Nebraska could deliver some big surprises. Independent candidate Dan Osborn, a Navy and Army National Guard veteran, has put up a surprisingly strong challenge against GOP Sen. Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. And Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who led the House Armed Services Committee’s military quality-of-life subpanel, is in a tight reelection battle against Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas.
There are also a number of veteran vs. veteran races, including in one of the swingiest districts in the country in Virginia. There, Democrat Eugene Vindman, an Army veteran who is the twin brother of Trump impeachment witness Alex Vindman, is competing against Republican Derrick Anderson, also an Army veteran, in a race seen as crucial for which party controls the House.
— Rebecca Kheel
US Cyber Command Says Eyes Still on Russia, Iran, China Disinfo on Election Eve
5:07 p.m. Nov. 4, 2024
Russia, China and Iran are still continuing attempts to influence and meddle in the election by pushing online disinformation, U.S. Cyber Command told Military.com on Monday, echoing a public statement last month by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Russians were making and amplifying claims of “illegal activity committed by the Democratic vice presidential candidate during his earlier career,” as well as considering methods to incite violence and raise questions about the validity of the U.S. election system, the alert said. It also warned Iran may again meddle in the election and in 2020 it “almost certainly was responsible for the creation of a website containing death threats against U.S. election officials.”
“Fair, free and secure elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. Election security is an enduring, no-fail mission for USCYBERCOM and the [National Security Agency],” Capt. Renee Douglas, a spokesperson for U.S. Cyber Command, told Military.com in an emailed statement.
— Thomas Novelly
Governors in Western US Place National Guard on Standby Ahead of Election Day
2:49 p.m. Nov. 4, 2024
National Guardsmen have been requested by several governors in the western U.S. to be on standby in preparation for Election Day.
Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state, a Democrat, told the National Guard on Friday to be ready “in the event they are asked to support local law enforcement and the Washington State Patrol during election week,” a statement from his office detailed.
Those Guardsmen will be on standby for four days. Additionally, Nevada’s Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office issued a statement saying, “60 total members of the National Guard will be activated on standby status and stationed in Nevada National Guard facilities in both Carson City and Las Vegas.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon, a Democrat, told the Oregon Capital Chronicle news outlet that attempts to intimidate voters are “un-American and will not be tolerated,” and that her state’s National Guard is also standing ready.
Read more about National Guard standbys here.
— Thomas Novelly
Smaller But More Diverse Pool of Veterans Running for Congress
12:29 p.m. Nov. 4, 2024
At least 189 veterans are running for Congress this year in the two major parties, according to a tally by Military.com.
That’s a smaller number than in the midterm elections two years ago. But experts who spoke to Military.com said a larger percentage of this year’s congressional veteran candidates identify as minorities, a development that comes as the military’s diversity efforts are the center of an increasingly bitter political debate.
Experts and advocates who track veterans running for Congress maintain that having people in office with military experience allows for the possibility of bridging partisan divides at a time of growing political rancor. While veterans aren’t immune to partisanship, advocates argue that having shared military experiences and histories of serving the country provide bonding opportunities for lawmakers with different political views.
Read more about all the veterans running for Congress here.
— Rebecca Kheel
