Former National Security Council aide Alexander Vindman announced on Tuesday that he will run for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in Florida. Vindman was a key player in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment and has since become a fierce critic.
Vindman, a lieutenant colonel in the Army, was assigned to the security council in 2019 when he filed a whistleblower report with superiors saying Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, who was a Democratic candidate for president at the time. In a telephone call that Trump later described as “perfect,” he appeared to tie U.S. military aid to Ukraine to the country’s willingness to launch a probe against Biden.
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Vindman was a star witness during impeachment proceedings against Trump in the House. Although the House impeached Trump, the case failed to get the 60 votes necessary in the Senate to remove him from office.
After retiring from the military, Vindman went on to publish two books and worked for VoteVets, an organization that helps elect veterans to public office. His twin brother, Eugene Vindman, was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 2024, representing the state of Virginia.
Vindman’s run for office
Vindman is challenging GOP Sen. Ashley Moody, a former state attorney general who took Marco Rubio’s seat last year when he became secretary of state. She has Trump’s endorsement and is running in a heavily Republican state.
Politico reports that Vindman likely has an uphill battle, noting that Republicans outnumber Democrats in the state by about 1.4 million. Plus, a Democrat has not won a Senate seat in Florida since 2012.
However, Vindman has previously noted he believes midterm elections will be a referendum on Trump. In a video released to launch his campaign Tuesday, Vindman targeted the president, saying the country is in chaos.
“This president unleashed a reign of terror and retribution, not just against me and my family, but against all of us,” Vindman said. “Stand with me now to put a check on Donald Trump and the corrupt politicians who think your tax dollars are their personal piggybank.”
Vindman accused Moody of representing Trump and the GOP, not the interests of Floridians. He said she was chosen “to be a ‘yes’ vote for Trump and the billionaires.”
Whoever wins the special election in November will finish out the last two years of Rubio’s term before having to run again in 2028.
The race for the Democratic nomination
Before Vindman can even face Moody, however, he has to secure the Democratic nomination from an already crowded race.
As of Tuesday, the primary already includes former Brevard County school board member Jennifer Jenkins, progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon, and the former head of philanthropy at Google for the Americas, Hector Mujica.
