Newsletter

July 1, 2025

Our Strategic Goals

★  Support Veterans and their Families

★  Defend our Constitution as Written and Amended

★  Protect the Nation at Home and Abroad 

Attention: Check Out AVV's Website and Join Us Here!

Bob Wood

CEO, American Veterans Vote

LTG (R), US Army

At AVV, we do so knowing there is no reason to lose a statewide race for Governor, Lt Governor, and Attorney General if Veterans who voted for Trump in 2024 also turn out to vote in 2025 for Winsome Sears. Our analysis across election data within available and credible voter data research services produced this interesting conclusion. This tracks with what we found in our analysis of the Governor’s race in 2021 that elected Governor Youngkin. Governor Youngkin won his election by 61,480 votes. Yes, he won, but it was too close! 

This 2021 election followed the 2020 presidential race between Biden and Trump. Republican Veteran voter turnout percentage had peaked at 82.9% for this 2020 presidential race in Virginia. But as we see in all recent elections in Virginia, when races go “local,” there is a falloff in all voter turnouts. For Republican Veteran voters in 2021, this falloff of 12.2% was significant, from a Republican Veteran voter turnout of 82.9% in 2020 to a turnout percentage of 70.7% in 2021. This represented 69,835 votes not cast by Republican Veteran voters who, just the year earlier, voted in the Presidential contest!  

Admittedly, there’s some amount of statistical gymnastics in drawing definitive conclusions about voting in general and in comparing elections in different years. It is a secret ballot, after all. But some general insights and conclusions do seem reasonable:

1)   Elections in Virginia remain extremely close and seem to be getting closer, particularly in statewide races. 

2)   The breakout between Veteran voters in Virginia dramatically continues to favor Republican statewide candidates, 68% to 32%, but only IF THEY ALL VOTE. 

3)   Trump’s momentum was apparent in Virginia. He won new voters in new demographics and localities across the state, adding 112,760 voters to the ledger for a historically high Republican vote turnout.

4)   Every Veteran, Every Vote may not be enough to achieve and secure the Changes through the Ballot Box that we seek. Too many Veteran votes are left uncast or just assumed as lost, even as election momentum, campaign dynamics, and candidate changes challenge such assumptions.   

EVERY VETERAN, EVERY VOTE, EVERY ELECTION must be our intent going forward. The table below shows the power of Veteran votes in Virginia:

Clearly, there are too many Republican Veterans across the state who don’t regularly vote. Every one of them may have a perfect and personal reason. Then, what is “too many?” Too many is any number who choose to sit out this coming election and forfeit the dominant power that Veteran votes, in particular Republican Veteran votes, can wield across the state. The math, the close nature of every race, the Trump momentum, and the high Veteran inclination to vote bode well if - I say again - ALL VETERANS VOTE! 



With some straightforward comparative analysis (who voted in which elections), we can identify the voters who may need a reminder. Yes, they will hear from AVV and AVV members with information, encouragement, reminders, and more. But for all Veteran voters, the best way to reduce all of this is to sign up for an Absentee ballot. Your ballot is mailed to you the first day of early voting (Sept 19) with all the election details and choices plainly described. You can then choose to vote absentee by mail or bring your absentee ballot to their designated polling site during early voting. You can register and ask for an absentee ballot as well as track your request using the two QR codes shown below:

Make plans to get your absentee ballot or vote early. Above all, VOTE. In the elections ahead, let’s demonstrate the power of EVERY VETERAN, EVERY VOTE, EVERY ELECTION!

VETERANS FORWARD

Bob Wood

LTG (R), USA

CEO, American Veterans Vote  

Please donate to AVV at our website



Inspiration Corner

Happy Birthday America!

Michael B. (Yama) Hoyes

COL (R), USAF

July 2025 begins a period of celebrating our 250 years as a nation, which will undoubtedly culminate with much fanfare this year. Time is an interesting thing to ponder, is it not? The movie “Back to the Future” was released forty years ago. The Achille Lauro, an Italian cruise ship, was hijacked forty years ago. It was also forty years ago when the long-lost wreckage of the Titanic was found. Forty years ago, Microsoft Windows 1.0 was released. Exodus 1-14 records the liberation of God’s chosen people, the Israelites, from the oppression of the Egyptians and their forty years of wandering through the desert to reach the promised land.

But on July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted a “Declaration of Independence” which would mark the beginning of our revolutionary war and the formal establishment of the United States of America. We’ve read this part of the prelude many times, but perhaps as we think about the upcoming 250th year, we should read it again: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

As much as we might focus on the truths presented, let’s land on the phrase, “consent of the governed.” What does that mean? How is this consent demonstrated?

“Consent of the governed” means two things: it rejects the notion of human kings or rulers with divine or automatic authority, and it is the foundation of democracy where people chose their leaders and have the power to change them.

How do we demonstrate “consent”? The number one way we give our consent is through elections (other ways could be through petitions, speaking freely, forming advocacy groups, etc.)! WE THE PEOPLE chose our leaders and replace them through the power of elections.

So, when we think about “time,” we see that it indeed moves quickly, with no do-overs. We also see that we are blessed with the opportunity to elect our leaders. Those who fought for our freedoms risked/gave it all and we are the benefactors…surely, we as veterans will be the FIRST to stand up and VOTE in EVERY election! America…land of the free, because of the brave…

 EVERY VETERAN, EVERY VOTE, EVERY ELECTION!

A Veteran's Perspective

Is the Military Really Apolitical?

by

MG Greg Schumacher, U.S. Army (Retired)

It is often glibly stated by many that our military is supposed to be “apolitical”. I see it emphasized periodically, focusing on our loyalty to the Constitution, as opposed to a particular leader. I became energized to address this topic upon recently seeing written criticism of President Trump by some retired senior and other officers and thinking back to the criticism of GEN Milley (and his own subsequent self-criticism) when he walked with the President toward ST. John’s Church during the BLM riots.

Might some of President Trump’s comments at some recent events with Academy and military audiences be considered as too political for the respective audiences? Perhaps, but I note that such criticisms I’ve seen depend on the eye of the beholder and what they choose to focus on. Critics of President Trump for allegedly “politicizing the military” cloaked their criticism under the guise of Constitutional values, portraying themselves as taking the high road. But they were mute when Democrat Presidents and Congresses “politicized the military” and objectively damaged readiness and good order and discipline.

Let’s look at the other side. As a member or supporter of AVV, you are likely, as I am, to be more conservative, vote Republican, and to support President Trump. Indeed, AVV was born from efforts to elect a retired Veteran, Daniel Gade, to be a Republican Senator. We’ve all likely criticized and even had disdain for Commanders in Chief of the other Party that we kept to ourselves or shared in private discussions with the like-minded while in uniform but shared more openly and publicly post-retirement.

My point is this – just because we put on the uniform to serve our country and take the oath to defend the Constitution does not immunize us from our respective worldviews, interpretations of our Constitution, and heartfelt beliefs as to what is right. Men and women in uniform join knowing they must obey the directives of Presidents and laws passed by Congress without openly criticizing them. But we all have our preferences and will vote and opt to serve or continue to serve depending on our individual assessment of the persons and Party in power. Individually, we are very political, but while serving, we know that, ultimately, we must obey all directives and laws barring unlawful orders. 

Consider some past directives from Democrat Presidents – repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”; allowing, and almost promoting, transgenders to serve, to include providing gender-altering treatments in military medical facilities; dismissing military members who refused to get the COVID vaccine; mandatory CRT training; cutting parents out of advisory boards on curriculum and policies in DODEA schools, etc. I believe each one of these directives were politically motivated. I also believe each one of these directives impacted recruiting and retention. Yet, the military obediently accepted them. Active officers and Veterans were selected and kept for senior appointments and positions based on demonstrated acquiescence to such directives.

Not surprisingly, demographics that historically served were less inclined to join. Services suffered through multiple years falling short on recruitment numbers. President Trump reversed these policies and others implemented by his predecessors and appointed people to senior positions who agree with him. He, like Presidents before him, is simply bringing the policies and positions that he ran on to the military. This is just the reality of the process. And while many who supported these other policies are disappointed, I’m celebrating the end of the previously mentioned recruiting woes as all Services are now hitting their targets early!

The military continues to enjoy high favorability among public institutions from the public. I say that this is not just because the institution has been considered “apolitical.” I believe our military best demonstrates the sense of duty and self-sacrifice needed to promote and preserve the founding values and principles of America. While military members have their own political leanings and ultimately need to conform to our serving President’s directives, we, as Veterans, should all strive to be keepers of the flame for those core values and principles that made America the great nation that it is with a military capable and worthy of defending her. 

American Veterans Vote, Inc. (AVV) is a volunteer team of Veterans and Veteran supporters. We are a 527 Political Action Committee with a nationally-focused mission to promote the political power of Veterans and Veteran supporters in support of our three strategic goals:

• Support of Veterans and their Families
• Defend our Constitution as Written and Amended
• Protect the Nation at Home and Abroad

AVV’s goal is to help Veterans maximize their political voice by supporting Veterans’ ability to Vote, Volunteer and Lead.

"Every Veteran, Every Vote."

We don't speak FOR Veterans... we speak AS Veterans.

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