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Program trains veterans to run for office

A training program for veterans thinking about running for political office will be held in September at Princeton University.

The nonpartisan, nonideological training program, called the Veterans Campaign, is designed solely to get more former military people — especially younger veterans — interested in serving in state and federal office, said Seth Lynn, executive director of the nonprofit education program and a former Marine Corps officer.

The two-day course, which starts on Sept. 12, is free, but those attending will have to cover their own transportation, food and lodging costs, Lynn said.

Lynn said the idea of helping veterans run for office came from memories of Marine officers bemoaning the fact that the number of veterans serving in Congress has been declining for some time.

Only 26 of 100 senators — down from 54 in 1994 — and 101 members of the 435-member House of Representatives served in the military. In the years after World War II, more than half of lawmakers were veterans.

Having more veterans in Congress might be a way to encourage bipartisanship, Lynn said, especially if candidates get basic campaign training together.

“It is a huge pool of talent, and we would be better off having more veterans in political office,” he said. “I think a lot of veterans, in general, are discouraged by politics and the political process. I think a lot of veterans think about running for office but really don’t know what it takes.”

Lynn said the Princeton program is unique in focusing on veterans in a nonpartisan way.

Fundraising, a key element of modern political campaigns, is one of the things alien to many military officers.

“Fund raising is one of the toughest things for many of them because there is a feeling that you are being selfish to be asking for money,” Lynn said.

The course will show veterans how to raise money and think of it as a political necessity, he said.

Another challenge is preparing to take for harsh and personal criticism, Lynn said. “In the military, when you get criticized, it usually is for something doing something wrong. Politics is completely different,” he said.

Anyone who is interested can sign up online.

About 40 people are signed up for the September training, with room for a few more, he said. If the course is successful, the Veterans Campaign plans to hold another session in Washington, D.C., in January.