Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council aide whose 2019 testimony helped trigger the first impeachment of President Donald Trump, announced on Tuesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate in Florida as a Democrat.
In a short two minute video, Vindman pushed his case in plain language and sharp tone. He said, “This president unleashed a reign of terror and retribution, not just against me and my family, but against all of us.” The line was meant to sum up why he says he must run.
Iβm Alex Vindman and Iβm running for the U.S. Senate. Chaos, corruption and sky-rocketing costs are crushing ordinary people, while the billionaires and career politicians profit.
I stepped up when my country needed a soldier, I reported corruption at the highest levels of⦠pic.twitter.com/AJhk13B6ZA
β Alexander S. Vindman πΊπΈ (@AVindman) January 27, 2026
Vindman is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who worked on the National Security Council during Trump first term. He testified publicly in October and November 2019 about a phone call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. That testimony became a central part of the impeachment inquiry.
After the hearings, Vindman was reassigned and later left the NSC. He retired from the Army and became a frequent critic of the president. He has written books and worked with veterans groups including VoteVets. His public profile has only grown since he first stepped forward.
If he wins the Democratic nomination, Vindman will challenge Republican Senator Ashley Moody, who was appointed to the seat by Governor Ron DeSantis after Marco Rubio left the Senate to become secretary of state. That appointment makes this a special election in 2026 for the final two years of Rubioβs term.
Florida has shifted solidly toward Republicans in recent years, and Moodyβs seat is rated safe for the GOP by political analysts. That does not mean the race is not worth watching. A high profile challenger can force debates and raise national attention and money. Vindmanβs entry makes that more likely.
Vindman first said he was thinking about a run in May 2025 in an interview with CBS Miami. At the time he told reporters he was talking to friends and advisers and weighing the decision. Now he has made it official.
His campaign pitch leans heavily on his record as a military officer and on his opposition to Trump style politics. He will face the practical hurdles every newcomer faces in a big state. He will also face the political reality that winning Florida requires persuading voters who moved right in the last decade.
The seat is a special election so the winner will serve out the last two years and likely run again in 2028 for a full six year term. That means whoever wins in November will be back on the campaign trail almost immediately. Voters in Florida will decide if they want to keep the appointed senator or hand the job to someone who made his name under very different circumstances.
A Vindman candidacy will also test how much national issues still matter in state races. Trump remains a dominant force in Republican politics and the presidentβs standing in Florida is especially strong. Democrats will argue that this race is part of a larger effort to win back the Senate. Republicans will call it another example of Democrats running on grievance. Either way, the contest is now official and it promises to be closely watched.
Featured image via X screengrab
