The mid-term elections are still nine months away, but interesting developments are taking center stage.  While it is not practice for AOC to endorse candidates ”“ before or after primaries ”“ there are some interesting races that could impact the support that electronic warfare (EW) receives in Congress.

First and foremost, on Monday (Feb. 15), Sen. Evan Bayh (IN) who was running for reelection announced that he will instead retire.  This creates what will likely be a competitive race for a seat that he held securely for the past two terms.  One potential Democratic candidate, according to the Wall Street Journal, is Rep. Brad Ellsworth (IN-08), who currently represents NSWC Crane.  Rep. Ellsworth has been a strong champion of EW and a member of the Congressional EW Working Group (EWWG) during his tenure in the House.  Of course, nothing is set in stone nor guaranteed, but Rep. Ellsworth would make a strong candidate that the EW community could support.

Furthermore, Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10), a co-chairman of the EWWG, is retiring from the House to run for the U.S. Senate.  Rep. Kirk has also been a champion of EW since he came to Congress.  He was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserve 1989 and flew in an EA-6B Prowler squadron, so he understands the value of EW to our warfighters.  His leadership in the EWWG will be missed, but if elected to the Senate, he would hopefully bring some EW leadership to that chamber.

Another race worth watching is for the first district of New Hampshire, where incumbent Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, another member of the EWWG, is running for re-election.   Her Republican opponent will not be formally chosen until September, but among Republican candidates is Rich Ashooh, a former executive with BAE Systems.  A strong supporter of the EW community, he is well-known within EW circles and a friend of the AOC.

Across the nation, there 36 Senate races and, of course, every member of the House is up for re-election.  To help AOC members identify which House races to follow, clickhere for a list of the 37 members of the EWWG.   Of the current EWWG members, the following are retiring, which means their districts will have open races: Rep. Sestak (PA-07), Rep. John Tanner (TN-08), Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10), and Rep. Todd Tiahrt (KS-04).  Reps. Sestak, Kirk, and Tiahrt are each running for the Senate.  The remaining EWWG members are incumbents vying for re-election.

AOC members should get involved in the political process and learn about the candidates running to represent them in Congress.   There are many candidates who can be effective leaders in Congress on behalf of the EW community, but they need to hear from you ”“ the voters.  One way to get involved is to participate in the annual AOC Capitol Hill Awareness Day (CHAD), April 13-14.  This is the time each year that AOC members visit the nation’s capital to meet with their congressional representatives.  If your representative or senator is running for re-election and has been a supporter of EW over the years, I strongly encourage you to attend this important event and let them know that you appreciate their leadership and that your vote counts!  More information on the event will be coming soon, but feel free to contact Ken Miller, AOC Director of Government Affairs at kmiller@crows.org if you have any questions.