Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman announced that he will run to unseat Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., in the next election, framing the race as a fight against corruption and allegiance to President Donald Trump.
He announced his candidacy in a campaign video released Tuesday.
"The last time you saw me was here," Vindman said in the video, which opens with footage of his testimony during Trump's first impeachment. "Swearing an oath to tell the truth about a president who broke his."
Vindman, who served as a key witness in the 2019 impeachment inquiry over Trump's dealings with Ukraine, said his testimony was rooted in personal history and principle. "My family came here as refugees to escape tyranny, and I sure as hell wasn't going to bow down to some wannabe tyrant," he said.
A 21-year Army veteran wounded in Iraq, Vindman said his service under presidents of both parties shaped his decision to run. "I've seen corruption in Washington up close," he said.
He cast Moody, who was appointed to the Senate after Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the Trump administration, as a reliable Trump ally. Vindman said Republicans "put Moody in the Senate to be a 'yes' vote for Trump and the billionaires."
"She's not Florida's senator," Vindman said. "She's theirs."
Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., Alexander's twin brother, won a competitive congressional race, defeating Republican Derrick Anderson in the November 2024 general election succeeding former Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger.
Alexander Vindman has remained a polarizing figure since the impeachment, drawing sharp criticism from Trump allies. Elon Musk has previously accused Vindman of "treason," a charge Vindman and his supporters have repeatedly rejected.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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