The now-retired Army officer Alexander Vindman, whose testimony was crucial to President Donald Trump’s initial impeachment, is now leading a much more tranquil existence in Broward County.
Vindman, who is heavily interested in politics and public policy, stated in a recent interview that he is considering running for the U.S. Senate in 2026, which would bring him back to a much greater profile.
Since I served in the military for 22 years, I believe that I have a strong tendency to serve and am constantly seeking for opportunities to contribute and develop communities, he added. What am I thinking? I’m wondering how I can help. However, that does not always imply my own run.
When asked about the Senate contest, Vindman responded, “I’m considering it.” I’m investigating the possibility of regaining a Senate majority. I’m not the only one.
Due to the resignation of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, who became Secretary of State under Trump, Florida will have a U.S. Senate race in 2026. Ashley Moody, who is running to keep it in Republican hands, was appointed to the position by Governor Ron DeSantis.
According to Vindman, Democrats must win seats in Congress next year. Like many in his party, he thinks that taking control of the House of Representatives is the most practical way to keep Trump in check.
President Trump is a snake oil salesman who has deceived many people into believing that he will improve their lives. Vindman stated that instead, he has made them worse. In order to prevent him from acting on his darkest impulses and undermining the social safety nets for millions or even tens of millions of Americans, I consider how we could impose some checks and balances, whether they be in the House or the Senate. How can we resolve that? How do we deal with those problems?
During his 22-year Army career, Vindman served at the Pentagon, the White House, and U.S. embassies in Moscow and Kiev, Ukraine. He received a Purple Heart during his combat operations deployment to Iraq as an infantry officer.
His final role as a lieutenant colonel was to serve as the National Security Council’s director of European affairs. In that capacity, he was among the staff members who overheard the now-famous 2019 phone conversation in which Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to provide information about Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
A political danger to Trump, Biden was the former vice president at the time and went on to win the presidency the following year.
Trump famously referred to the call as a “perfect call” and threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Ukraine in order to achieve his goals.
Vindman voiced his concerns up the chain of command and eventually testified before a House committee that the president of the United States should not have ordered a foreign government to look into a U.S. citizen and a political rival. This action had serious ramifications for our nation’s national security.
According to NPR, one of the most captivating moments of the impeachment hearings was when an active-duty U.S. Army soldier testified against his commander in chief while wearing his full military uniform.
He was acquitted by the Senate and impeached by the House of Representatives. Vindman and his twin brother were fired from their positions at the National Security Council a few days later. After being denied a promotion to full colonel, he finally resigned his commission.
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Friday is quiet with dry conditions across Central Florida
Vindman is busy now that he is retired.
VoteVets, a group that supports and recruits veterans to run for office, employs him as a senior consultant. He gives talks, participates in podcasts, posts videos and opinions on social media, and writes Why It Matters dispatches on Substack.
In addition, Vindman is the author of two best-selling books: The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine, which was published this year, and Here, Right Matters: An American Story, which was published in 2021.
Additionally, he has started attending Democratic Party gatherings, but in a relatively subdued manner.
He talked on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when he was the guest speaker at the Davie-Cooper City Democratic Club in April. He led hundreds of people in the Broward Democratic Party’s Obama Roosevelt Legacy Gala in May as they recited the Pledge of Allegiance. He attended the Leadership Blue conference and fundraiser dinner for the Florida Democratic Party in June.
He shared images from citizen protests against Trump on social media from Asheville, North Carolina, where he took part in one of the hundreds of No Kings rallies held across the country on June 14, and Fort Lauderdale.
Vindman claimed in a post on Substack that the No Kings were well-attended, well-planned, and demonstrated the sheer might of the populace against Trump. The patriotic opposition to the Trump administration’s goal for monarchical and oligarchy-based government is what I found most admirable about the No Kings rally. I have a lot of hope for the upcoming midterms because this movement reflects the ideas at the core of the American Revolution.
In 2023, Vindman, who is now 50, and his family relocated to Broward.
In terms of politics, he claimed that Florida was not the most desirable state for a state overrun by right-wing radicals.
“But I love it here in Broward County,” he remarked.
His best friend from his first military post grew up in Hollywood, which is why the Vindmans are in Broward. The Vindmans had been visiting for years after the friend moved to Broward after completing his military stint.
He stated, “This is the first place where I get to choose where to live.” I’m a Floridian by choice, not because I was ordered to, as I was moved all over the place by the military.
Vindman claimed that the great standard of living, superb schools, and high standard of living were what drew him in. There are obstacles to overcome, just like everywhere else, but we’re having a great time down here.
One of the few places in Florida with a strong Democratic majority is Broward. Did that have an impact on the choice of residence? Perhaps it did to some degree, but perhaps not in the manner that some individuals believe.
He stated that people like himself who took a principled stance and exposed presidential corruption must worry about political retaliation because we live in a world where the president of the United States targets his opponents and does not believe in democracy. Perhaps a little, but I wouldn’t have picked Florida if that was the concern that was motivating me. So I do what I believe to be right, regardless of the repercussions.
He has an idea of what a Senate campaign would require, according to Broward Democratic Party chair Rick Hoye, given the attempts to discredit him that prompted his testimony on Trump and his twin brother Eugene Vindman’s election to Congress from a Virginia district last year.
Hoye remarked, “I’m sure he’s 1,000% aware of what would be coming his way.”
Although he is unsure of his plans, Hoye stated that Vindman could succeed as a Senate candidate. I am aware that he is considering it.
Democratic leaders publicly express optimism about Florida’s prospects for the upcoming year. The party that does not hold the White House typically does well in the midterm elections that follow a presidential contest.
But in Florida, Democrats don’t have it easy.
With 1.3 million registered voters, the Republican lead has been increasing over the past few years. In the past 20 years, Republicans have won five U.S. Senate elections in Florida, while Democrats have only won two, in 2006 and 2012.
Additionally, Moody ran twice for Florida attorney general, her prior position, with success.
State Republican Party Chair Evan Power stated that the last thing our state wants is someone who participated in the obstruction of the first Trump Administration, following the initial revelation by WFOR-Ch. 4 last month that Vindman would run for the Senate. Vindman ought to move his political opportunism and lying elsewhere.
Josh Weil, another Democrat, has already declared his intention to run for the Senate nomination.
In 2022, Weil made a brief run for the U.S. Senate but left before the primary. In April, he was defeated in a special congressional election.
In a recent interview, Weil stated that he had discussed his plans with Vindman.
Weil stated that he will be keeping an eye on this campaign for a few months to see how it unfolds. As in an election, we believe that if we handle our business, if we raise enough money, if we start investing it in the right places, that you can take a lead in a race and control that. Perhaps it makes it appear less appealing to other people. We’ll have to wait and see if he enters the race.
If Vindman runs, Hoye said he expects an announcement would come relatively soon.
But the potential candidate said recently he didn t have a timeframe for when he d have to make a decison. I’m not sure. That would indicate some really sharp thinking about this. It s all speculative at this point.
Political writer Anthony Man can be reached at [email protected] and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
