Why ‘Hellcats' could be the answer to Democrats troubles
When Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, the 'Hellcats' group chat of aspiring female congresswomen lit up in celebration.
All four women in the "Hellcats" chat — named after the first female Marines who served in World War I — have military experience and are running for Congress in 2026. Sherrill, as a former Navy helicopter pilot, offers some much-needed inspiration for the party's next generation of candidates.
Democrats, looking to turn around their struggling brand and retake the House in 2026, point to Sherrill and presumptive Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA officer, as reasons the party will do well.
Sherril and Spanberger are held up as the model for how the party might turn the tables — running moderate, former veterans and national security officials in tough districts who can say they 'have put their country ahead of their party,' said Dan Sena, who served as the executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018.
'Candidates with records of service showed in 2018 their ability to win in the most challenging districts and states in the country,' Sena added. 'This cycle, the same dynamics are playing out with those kinds of candidates.'
Democrats say these House candidates can point to their political aspirations as an extension of their public service that began in the military or national security realm, and bristle at Republicans claiming MAGA is equivalent to patriotism.
'Right now, especially as this administration continues to create more chaos and dismantle our democracy, you're seeing veterans continuing to answer the call to serve their country,' said JoAnna Mendoza, a retired US Marine who served in combat, now running to challenge Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.).
Mendoza is a member of the 'Hellcats' group chat, along with Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy officer who is taking on Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.), Maura Sullivan, a former Marine looking to replace Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Cait Conley, an Army veteran and former National Security Council official, who is up against Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).
Democrats say these candidates bring in necessary enthusiasm that translates to fundraising. In Pennsylvania, Ryan Croswell, a Marine and federal prosecutor who resigned when President Donald Trump pressured him to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, raised more than $215,000 in the first 48 hours after announcing his campaign on Monday, one of the biggest launch hauls that the party has seen this cycle.
Spanberger posted a selfie on X just minutes after her one-time Washington roommate Sherrill won her primary race in New Jersey on Tuesday. The pair is using their profiles as a springboard to higher office, after many of them helped Democrats flip the House in 2018.
In Michigan, former CIA analyst Sen. Elissa Slotkin fought off GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, himself an Army veteran, in a state that Kamala Harris lost in 2024. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, a former Department of State adviser on Afghanistan, easily won his election for the seat once held by former Sen. Bob Menendez, who was convicted of federal corruption charges.
'Patriotism is a value that the Democrats shouldn't be afraid to talk about,' said Jared Leopold, a former communications director for the Democratic Governors Association. 'It is a productive conversation for Democrats to lead on as an entry point to the kitchen table issues of the day.'
Democratic candidates with national security backgrounds mitigate one of the party's biggest liabilities — a perception that Democrats are weak. Democratic-run focus groups held after the 2024 election found voters across the spectrum saw the party as overly focused on the elite and too cautious. Voters regularly cite Republicans as the party they trust with national security issues in public polling, and the GOP bench of veterans elected to office runs deep.
But serving in the military or for the administration in a national security capacity 'inoculates them from attacks that they're not tough,' said Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run For Something, a group that recruits young people to run for office.
'It helps them ward off that opposition without having to say it out loud,' Litman continued. 'Former Navy helicopter pilot, prosecutor — those are inherently tough, so that means women candidates don't have to posture, they can just be, because it's baked into their resumes.'
Of course, Republicans have, at times, effectively turned it against them. Former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, for instance, highlighted his military experience but also faced "swift boat" attacks. More recently, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's military record came under scrutiny when he was elevated to the vice presidential nomination.
Bennett, who is also a current member of the Air National Guard, believes her dual identity as a veteran and mother gives her a unique appeal to voters, and a natural way to discuss financial strains like high daycare costs.
'I truly led in some of the most challenging environments that exist in this world,' she said. 'And, I'm a mom too, and I fundamentally understand the issues and challenges that families are facing.'
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