Since 1960, 15 U.S. senators eventually went on to win presidential nominations of the two major parties. That’s why the who took office Friday are worth watching; some may become powerful national leaders.
The new senator with the most potential is David McCormick, 59, a Pennsylvania Republican. In 2024, he toppled an incumbent Democratic senator, and did it in a big, swing state. It’s a perfect launchpad for higher office.
McCormick is a West Point graduate — a sterling credential in politics; just ask former Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards — and received a Ph.D. in international relations from Princeton University. He served in the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg and was an honor graduate of Ranger School. He was in the first wave of U.S. troops that went to Iraq during the Gulf War and received the Bronze Star.
Ron Faucheux
Devoting his early career to business and government service, McCormick was appointed undersecretary of commerce for industry and security by President George W. Bush, and later undersecretary of the treasury for international affairs. He became CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the largest investment management firms.
McCormick ran for the Senate in 2022 and lost the Republican primary to Dr. Mehmet Oz by only 950 votes out of 1.3 million cast. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Oz.
After this narrow primary loss, McCormick jumped into the 2024 Senate race against Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, a tough candidate to beat. This time, he had Trump’s endorsement and strong party backing. Casey outspent McCormick two to one. Outside groups dropped an additional $101 million against Casey and $77 million against McCormick.
What began as a long-shot campaign ended up the Senate’s top upset. McCormick beat Casey by 15,000 votes out of nearly seven million cast. He’s surely one to watch.
There are Democrats worth watching as well, especially new senators from Michigan and New Jersey.
Democrat Elissa Slotkin, 48, represented Michigan in the U.S. House for six years. Previously, she served three tours in Iraq as a CIA analyst. During George W. Bush’s administration she worked for the National Security Council, and during Barack Obama’s presidency she worked in both the State and Defense departments.
A proponent of lower health care costs and boosting domestic drug manufacturing, Slotkin won the 2024 Senate race by 22,000 votes on the same day Trump carried Michigan by 80,000 votes. Winning by bucking trends can open doors to higher office.
Slotkin has attempted to separate herself from her party’s most progressive wing. Since Kamala Harris’ presidential loss, for example, Slotkin has argued that identity politics — a key element of Democratic strategy — “needs to go the way of the dodo.”
The other Democrat to watch is Andy Kim, 42, the new senator from New Jersey. He has nearly six years of U.S. House service under his belt. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago and studied international relations at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
Kim worked at the USAID and State Department. He was a national security adviser to Obama and served on the National Security Council. When he sought a seat in the U.S. House, his opponent attacked him for being a D.C. elitist. Kim won by a narrow margin and became the first Democrat of Korean descent to serve in Congress.
A member of the Progressive Caucus, Kim announced his Senate candidacy the day after the Democratic incumbent, Sen. Robert Menendez, was indicted on federal corruption charges in 2023. Soon after, Tammy Murphy, wife of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, also entered the brawl. Kim was positioned as the “insurgent” against “the machine” and challenged the constitutionality of New Jersey’s “county line” ballot system. After Kim picked up key local support, Murphy dropped out.
Menendez was found guilty and resigned the Senate seat, ending his reelection bid.
Kim won the general election with 54% of the vote — better than Kamala Harris’ 52% showing in this blue state.
Despite different philosophies, parties and states, these three new senators are smart, well-educated and experienced players. They’ve shown they can win big elections and survive shifting national trends.
Let’s hope they put their talents to best use serving the nation in their new jobs.