Veterans in Congress could plummet after elections

The number of veterans serving in Congress next year could drop below 100 for the first time since the 1950s, according to an analysis by the non-partisan Veterans Campaign group.

The organization says 183 of 865 major-party candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have some kind of military experience. Based on polling in congressional races, Veterans Campaign predicts the number of veterans serving in the new Congress that convenes in January could drop below the current 106 lawmakers with military experience.

Here's what Seth Lynn, executive director of Veterans Campaign, told the Military Times:

We're used to seeing this steady decrease every two years, but this could be an even steeper drop than we normally expect. This is going to be the election that puts us below earlier levels.

Veterans Campaign finds 46 of the major-party candidates with military experience served in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars. There are currently 17 veterans of recent wars serving in Congress.

Republican Rep. Tom Cotton, who served nearly five years on active duty with the U.S. Army, could become the first Iraq combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate if he wins his race in Arkansas. Cotton is leading Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor by an average of about 5.5 percentage points, according to polling compiled by Real Clear Politics. (Sen. John Walsh, D-Mont., who is not running for election, served in combat in Iraq but was appointed to the Senate.)

Another veteran making news on the campaign trail is Democrat Seth Moulton, a Marine who defeated incumbent Rep. John Tierney in the Massachusetts primary. The Boston Globereported Moulton has chosen to underplay his heroics in Iraq. The Globe said it learned that the Democrat was awarded a Bronze Star and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal.  Moulton's parents reportedly didn't know he was awarded these medals for valor until recently, the story said.

Moulton is running against Republican Richard Tisei in Massachusetts' 6th District.