Yesterday, Virginia Republicans selected Daniel Gade to run for the Senate seat held by Mark Warner. Gade easily won the primary, collecting more than two-thirds of the vote.
I wrote about Daniel here. He is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, who served for more than 20 years. In 2004, he deployed to Iraq where he led his unit on many combat missions, was wounded by enemy fire twice, and was decorated for valor.
Daniel’s second combat wounding resulted in the amputation of his entire right leg. He spent the next year in the hospital, enduring more than 40 surgeries.
Daniel went on to obtain a PhD in public administration and policy. He served in President George W. Bush’s administration, working on veteran issues and military healthcare. He then taught political science, economics, and leadership courses at the United States Military Academy. Upon retiring from the Army in 2017, Daniel became a professor at American University.
President Trump nominated Daniel to be a commissioner of the Equal Employment Commission. I met Daniel while his nomination was pending. I found him to be a rock solid constitutional conservative and one of the most personally impressive people I’ve ever encountered.
The EEOC slate before the Senate included radical LBGT activist, Chai Feldblum. Her inclusion, and Majority Leader McConnell’s unwillingness to push for Gade independently of Feldblum, meant that Daniel could not be confirmed.
The EEOC’s loss might be the Senate’s gain. Daniel certainly faces an uphill battle in his quest to defeat Warner. However, Warner nearly lost in 2014. If the tide turns in favor of President Trump and the GOP this year, Daniel will have a decent chance of winning.
Daniel told me that after taking the hit that blew up his leg, he was flown to a Navy hospital for emergency treatment. He needed so much blood of a certain type that the facility didn’t have enough for him.
On the spot, 25 sailors in the mess hall donated the blood Daniel needed to survive. The donors didn’t know Daniel. They didn’t know, or care, about his race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. All that mattered was that an American’s life was in jeopardy.
It’s that sense of patriotism, duty, and solidarity that Daniel seeks to bring to a Senate that sorely needs it. You can help Daniel get there by joining me in contributing to his campaign here.
Finally, I want to thank readers who contributed to Daniel’s successful primary campaign.
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