Combat Veterans make up a small percentage of the American population but a disproportionate number possess a unique mix of leadership qualities and discipline that I find critical in politics. Our guest this week has served and sacrificed for his country on the battlefield as a Navy SEAL and is now on his next mission: Serving in Congress.
Many thanks to Campaign Sidekick for helping make this podcast possible. You know I love a good campaign ground game and Sidekick is the best tool out there for the job. Voter databasing, canvassing app and phone bank all in one for unbeatable prices. Check it out at CampaignSidekick.vote!
Our guest this week is on a mission. And he doesn’t ever take a mission lightly.
Lt. Commander (Retired) Dan Crenshaw is running for Congress in Texas’ 2nd congressional district’s open seat, left by retiring Congressman Ted Poe. Dan grew up in the district, a native of Katy, Texas and lived across the globe as his father’s career led.
From an early age, Dan Crenshaw knew he wanted to be a warrior. Specifically, he wanted to be a Navy SEAL. In 2006 that mission met with success and another took its place: do battle with our nation’s enemies. Through multiple deployments, Dan did just that. As a SEAL officer, Dan honed his leadership and warcraft constantly. Serving our nation’s interests and bringing home his brothers were his mission goals.
On Dan’s third deployment, in June of 2012, he was struck by an IED, losing one eye entirely and the other was judged to be a lost cause. In a miracle that he attributes to God’s grace and his bride’s love, he was eventually able to recover sight in that eye.
Even after his injuries, Dan didn’t quit. He deployed twice more with his SEAL brothers overseas and was medically retired in 2016.
After retiring from the SEALs, Dan Crenshaw earned a Master’s degree from Harvard and returned to Texas. Following Ted Poe’s retirement announcement, Dan and his bride made the decision to run for Congress and set out on an improbable race. They had no name id, no candidate experience, no campaign team and zero dollars in the campaign account…and they only had about two months until the first ballots went out in the mail.
Outspent well over 30 to one, Dan and his team built an insurgent campaign that eked out a spot in the runoff race by less than 200 votes. Now he’s in a runoff and campaigning hard.
All my previous interviews have been done recorded online but I had the pleasure of doing this one in person and I had a blast meeting and talking with Dan.
I’m excited about his prospects in the race and the leadership ability that he’s bringing to the table. Let’s get to the interview!
If you haven’t heard it already, check out Dan Crenshaw’s interview on the Jocko Podcast. You’ll get to learn a lot more about Dan’s story and military service. It’s one of my favorite podcasts and you’ll enjoy it!
