On Veterans Day, we thank the brave men and women who defend our country and keep us safe.

Today also has added personal significance for me.

With our nation in crisis after 9/11, I knew I had to do something. John, I closed my law practice, and on Veterans Day sixteen years ago, I left home to report to a Military Entrance Processing Station and joined the U.S. Army the next day.

In the years since, I’ve spent time on Veterans Day reflecting on my service, the service of others, and the state of our nation. In recent years, I’ve been deeply troubled by the issues we face. Powers, both foreign and domestic, threaten to divide us, while Washington remains so broken that our leaders can’t or won’t work together to address them.

I decided to run for U.S. Senate because I felt a lot like I did more than a decade ago: our nation is in a crisis and I had to do something.

I’m running to fight for the American values that my brothers and sisters-in-arms served and sacrificed to protect and defend.

Please join me today and thank our servicemen and women for the brave sacrifices they’ve made for our country.

Thank you,

James