Why Veterans Make Compelling Independent Candidates

Does having military experience no longer matter to American voters? 

On one hand, this might seem to be the case, as there hasn't been an elected president who has served in the military since George W. Bush. According to New England College president Dr. Wayne Lesperance, having a military background doesn't seem to be an important requirement anymore when choosing to elect a candidate to public office. The political science professor also pointed out that past candidates who served in the military, such as John Kerry and John McCain, didn't get favorable results when they ran for office. “They served abroad, but they didn't win the White House here at home,” he said. 

Though having a military background appears to be an outdated requirement in politics, there is proof that veterans can play a powerful role in the country's independent political movement. Veterans can also make a difference if voters want to change the political landscape of the United States. 

Here's why veterans make compelling independent candidates:

Reason #1: Candidates with Military Experience Have Great Leadership Skills

A study by the Pew Research Center revealed that around a fifth of nearly 1,000 candidates for the 2022 U.S. Senate and U.S. House elections claim to have some degree of military experience. Most of the veteran candidates are men, and the majority of them are Republicans. This appears to be a strategy of the party, since military veterans have long been a force to be reckoned with during elections. They have often been viewed as a voting bloc, and some believe that veterans will choose to vote for their military peers over people who don't have military experience. 

Meanwhile, a veteran running as an independent candidate may win voters’ support by upholding the values that they defended during their service, having actionable plans to make a positive change to homeland security and other defense issues, and by showing the skills that they learned while serving in the military. 

One of the most important skills that aspiring politicians should have is leadership, and most retired and active military personnel would agree that it would be difficult to find any organization that does better leadership training than the U.S. military. “Every minute of military training is all about conditioning you to manage stressful situations and respond in a methodical way,” said former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant Eric Ryan. 

Reason #2: Veterans Are Disciplined and Have a Sense of Self-Control 

Notice how most military personnel have a strong sense of discipline in everything they do? They tend to adhere to rules and be extremely organized, and they show their professionalism by maintaining a professional appearance and keeping their uniform and dog tags impeccable. 

Most veterans also have a strong sense of discipline, integrity, and self-control, so they're less likely to engage in activities that would have a negative impact on the nation or their personal reputation. In fact, a study on moral commitment and corruption shows that individuals are more likely to abstain from engaging in corrupt transactions when they are intrinsically committed to moral principles. This means that since veterans tend to have high standards of right and wrong, they're more likely to put the needs of others above their personal interests, making them the perfect independent candidates.  

Reason #3: Veterans Have Excellent Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Skills

No one wants a leader who takes an unreasonably long time to resolve urgent matters, or a politician who makes wrong decisions at every turn. Political leaders should be able to think and act fast, and they should also be able to make the right decisions at any given time. People with military experience are often known to be brilliant at decision-making since they have to apply critical and creative thinking skills in crucial situations. 

Veterans also have practice thinking about the outcome of decisions before making the final call. Many of these are done in the midst of stressful or high-risk situations, so they're trained to think fast and make a decision in the shortest amount of time possible. This ability makes veterans ideal independent candidates and business leaders. “In the military, you learn to quickly think on your feet and as leaders make precise decisions that impact mission or team,” said former Marine Brian Armstrong, who currently serves as the head of Military Recruitment at Wells Fargo. 

Veterans have the potential to be some of the best political leaders of the country. With their skills, values, and abilities, they can help to bring peace, keep corruption at bay, and make the best decisions for the good of the nation. 

Want to learn more or get involved?

Check out these spotlights on GoodParty.org Certified veterans who are running for office as independent or third-party candidates:

• James Bledsoe, candidate for city council in Raleigh, North Carolina

• Tim Cotton, candidate for Indiana State Senate in District 10

• Eric Faulkner, candidate for city council in Temecula, California

To learn more about how GoodParty.org can support you or another independent candidate for public office, explore our free campaign tools or book a demo here. You can also learn more about how independent veterans are making a difference by visiting the website of our partner organization, Independent Veterans of America.