Alex Vindman, who became a household name as a key witness during the first of President Trump’s impeachments, is making a truly surprising move by launching a campaign for the Democratic nomination for Florida’s US Senate seat, as reported by The Guardian. Vindman doesn’t seem to be holding onto any grudges, telling folks that he’s an optimist at heart and more focused on the future than the past.
He says that the idea of vindictiveness is opposite to his personality, though he makes it clear that accountability is still essential. You might remember Vindman from his highly visible appearance before Congress in October 2019. Back then, he was the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council (NSC). He testified that he was on a July telephone call between President Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where President Trump made an improper request to investigate Joe Biden.
Vindman reported his concern to superiors, including his twin brother Eugene, who was the NSC’s senior ethics official, stating that the demand felt like an extortion attempt that undermined US foreign policy. While President Trump was impeached, he wasn’t convicted in the US Senate, but the situation led to a campaign of vitriol and retribution that ultimately saw both Vindman brothers ousted from their roles. Republicans even went so far as to call Alex Vindman, who served the US for 21 years in uniform and is a Purple Heart recipient, a “traitor.”
Vindman believes his experience makes him the right person to invigorate the state’s Democratic party, which has faced a tough run
Given that whole ordeal, you might wonder why Vindman, who’s also a New York Times bestselling author and a senior adviser to an advocacy group helping veterans get elected, would jump back into the intense world of Washington politics.
He says that “sitting out on the sidelines was not an option, just like reporting corruption, no matter who it was.” He admits it was a tough decision, especially since his wife wasn’t thrilled about putting their family back into the crosshairs, acknowledging the reality of political violence and negativity. Despite the hurdles, he’s feeling a huge amount of support and a “new hope for a balanced politics” in Florida.
He points to years of President Trump and the extremism of Florida’s hard-right governor, Ron DeSantis, as reasons why voters are crying out for an end to “the chaos.” He’s running as a “different kind of Democrat,” openly sharing that he owns handguns and has a concealed carry permit, which isn’t exactly the “standard fare, kind of like coastal elite Democrat” you might expect. He feels this helps him connect with voters, explaining that people give him a hearing without dismissing him just because he’s running as a Democrat.
In just a month and a half of campaigning across Florida, Vindman says he’s learned a lot about the voters. Democrats, he notes, are “ready to walk over hot coals.” He’s also seeing a lot of curiosity from “more traditional, pre-Trump-era Republicans” who feel politically homeless. Independents, he thinks, aren’t fully plugged in yet but are showing openness to his message of “ending the chaos, crushing corruption, cutting costs.”
He’s already looking ahead to the November special election, where the Democratic nominee will challenge the Republican incumbent, Ashley Moody. Moody was appointed by DeSantis after President Trump elevated Marco Rubio to become his Secretary of State. Vindman sees a “stark contrast” between himself and Moody, describing her as a “complete blank check, rubber stamp on all the chaos, and corruption, and this cost crisis that all the states feel.”
When it comes to specific issues, the cost of living in Florida is at the top of his list. He notes that the promise of an affordable retirement is increasingly out of reach for many, with the cost of insurance and premiums skyrocketing. He criticizes Moody’s role when she was attorney general, alleging she gave large insurance companies a pass, letting rates increase while they failed to pay on claims.
Published: Mar 23, 2026 05:00 pm