Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts announces campaign for Texas Senate seat

The Sundarban

(Image credit ranking: Terry Virts for Texas)

Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts is working for one of Texas’ United States Senate seats, he introduced lately (June 23).

Virts, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, F-16 pilot and two-time crew member of the Global Space Station (ISS), introduced his candidacy Monday in a video posted to social media. “Trump’s chaos must be stopped. The corruption is overwhelming. Our Constitution is under attack,” Virts says within the two-minute clip. His flee goals to jabber the Texas Attorney Overall Ken Paxton’s account for, who’s polling greater than John Cornyn, the Republican Senator currently keeping the seat and is up for reelection in 2026.

Virts frames his campaign in opposition to a divisive and dysfunctional Washington, the attach he says leadership is M.I.A. “After every[NASA] mission, we debrief, no excuses,” Virts says, adding, “after the 2024 election disaster, Washington Democratic leadership skipped the debrief.”

Virts piloted Space Shuttle Endeavour on the STS-130 mission in 2010, and served as ISS commander in 2015. He logged bigger than 212 cumulative days in space before his retirement from NASA, and has since remained within the public gentle thru his books, public speaking and STEM (science, skills, engineering and math) outreach.

I’m launching a campaign for U.S. Senate. I’m searching for to relieve Texas on legend of I admire my nation—I factor in in its ideals and values. I’m an Air Force Colonel and an astronaut, but in actuality, I’m an American first, a Texan second, and a no longer fresh-sense Democrat third. Or no longer it’s some distance time for alternate. pic.twitter.com/OBHL1QjkZxJune 23, 2025

As Senator, Virts plans to exercise his experiences in space to emphasise cooperation and jabber-fixing on Earth. “From orbit, Earth takes your breath away,” Virts says initially of the video. “But amidst that beauty, danger is never far. You learn fast that chaos is lethal, so you adapt, you solve problems and you lead because your lives depend on it,” he stated.

Virts is filing as a Democrat, becoming a member of a field of early challengers all vying for the seat. Whereas Virts’ campaign video highlights Paxton as an opponent, Cornyn has represented Texas within the Senate since 2002 and has turn accurate into a fixture on the national stage.

If elected, Virts would no longer be the main astronaut to enter into politics. Invoice Nelson flew aboard Space Shuttle Columbia as a payload specialist in 1986, served within the U.S. Senate from 2001-2019, and became as soon as furthermore appointed as NASA administrator below President Biden. Put Kelly flew four space shuttle missions between 2001 and 2011, and became as soon as elected as one of Arizona’s U.S. Senate participants in 2020. And John Glenn, famously the main American to orbit the Earth, served as the U.S. Senator form Ohio from 1974-1999. Apollo 17 moonwalker Harrison Schmitt served within the U.S. Senate representing New Mexico from 1977 to 1983, and Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert became as soon as elected to Congress in Colorado in 1982, but died of cancer before he could take office.

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Though his frustrations within the online video are offered thru the national lens, Virts is furthermore targeting the advise he hopes to signify. “This moment demands something different: Honesty, courage and a clean break from the past,” Virts stated. “I’ll make it my mission to fight for Texans every day: Texas farmers crushed by Trump’s insane tariffs, Texas workers buried with rising costs, Texas kids hit with education cuts and Texas communities kicked off Medicaid. I’ve risked my life for this country, and I’ll fight anyone trying to destroy it.”

“I’m an American. First, a Texan. Second, and a common sense Democrat third. It’s time for new leadership. I’m Terry Virts I’m running for US Senate and I’m ready for my next mission.”

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Josh Dinner is the Team Author for Spaceflight at Space.com. He is a creator and photographer with a fondness for science and space exploration, and has been working the gap beat since 2016. Josh has lined the evolution of NASA’s business spaceflight partnerships and crewed missions from the Space Soar, as effectively as NASA science missions and more. He furthermore enjoys constructing 1:144-scale model rockets and human-flown spacecraft. Obtain some of Josh’s start photography on Instagram and his net role, and apply him on X, the attach he largely posts in haiku.

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