Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Aug 23
Mikie Sherrill Backs 5 Veteran Candidates, Eyes 2028 Influence
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Aug 23

Mikie Sherrill Backs 5 Veteran Candidates, Eyes 2028 Influence

2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Aug 23

Summary

  • Just six months into office, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has launched cross-country midterm travel through New Hampshire, Massachusetts and soon Nevada to endorse veteran Democrats in competitive races.
  • Her Mission to Deliver PAC is betting that veterans can help Democrats reconnect with working-class and crossover voters, with Sherrill framing the party’s test as delivering change rather than fighting ideological factions.
  • Five backed candidates include JoAnna Mendoza in Arizona, Zach Dembo in Kentucky, Rebecca Bennett in New Jersey, Cait Conley in New York and Nancy Lacore in South Carolina; Dembo and Lacore joined the DCCC’s Red-to-Blue program last week.
  • Allies including Elissa Slotkin, Jason Crow and Chrissy Houlahan say Sherrill’s military résumé and emphasis on “ruthless competence” could lift her profile as Democrats search for a clearer 2028 standard-bearer.
  • Sherrill openly says Democrats should consider a veteran atop the 2028 ticket, though she says her immediate focus is building a stronger bench for November.

Insights

Will an unprecedented state-level push for veterans advocacy become the new blueprint for executive success on the national stage?