Daniel Gade, the Republican Senate nominee in Virginia who lost to Sen. Mark R. Warner in November, says he will not run for governor next year but is launching a political action committee devoted to electing conservative veterans and educating voters on veterans issues.
Gade, a 25-year Army veteran who lost a leg in combat in Iraq, had courted speculation that he would run for governor after teasing a forthcoming “major announcement” in a tweet Friday.
But he said in an interview Monday that it was not the right time to launch another campaign. He did not rule out a bid for statewide office in future years.
“Career politicians are always looking for their next election,” he said. “Instead, I’m looking for the next way to help.”
Gade received more than 1.9 million votes in losing to Warner (D) by 12 points. He said he will use that network of support to lift the New Mission PAC off the ground.
The PAC will aim to have an effect on veterans policies on the state and federal levels by boosting turnout among veterans, electing candidates who served in the military and launching education campaigns to inform sitting lawmakers and voters about pressing issues.
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Gade, who previously assisted the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama in drafting policy affecting disabled veterans, said he would like to see more emphasis from lawmakers on helping veterans find work and remain employed.
“Fewer than a quarter of the members of Congress are veterans, and if we’re going to get good veterans policy, we have to be willing to help change that,” he said.
The PAC will start with just over $30,000, including leftover funds from Gade’s Senate race. Gade said it will first focus on get-out-the-vote efforts targeting veterans in Georgia’s Jan. 5 Senate runoff election, in which the PAC is supporting the Republican incumbents, Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, over their respective Democratic challengers, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
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New Mission will then shift to helping conservative veteran candidates in state-level Virginia races throughout 2021, Gade said. As resources allow in the future, it may also expand to helping conservative veterans or candidates with strong platforms on veterans issues in competitive congressional races in 2022 and beyond, he said.
“The proof of concept will be in the 2021 races in Virginia,” Gade said.
While he is focused almost exclusively on conservative candidates, Gade said he would not rule out assisting moderate Democrats who have military backgrounds, if the PAC generates enough funding.
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