Most congressional incumbents hung on this election, as they typically do, but a few open seats in a few districts and states that host National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) sites means there are a few new faces representing the neighbors of the nuclear security enterprise — or in the case of a New Mexico congressman who is now a U.S. Senator-elect, a new-old face.
For a piece of trivia, one of the new faces is Congressman-elect Ronny Jackson, the former White House doctor for President Donald Trump. Jackson will return to Washington next year as the representative of a constituency that includes the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.
Jackson won the seat being vacated by Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), who prior to Democrats taking back the House in 2018 was chair of the House Armed Services Committee.
Over in the Senate, the NNSA sort of lost a seat at the table with the retirement of Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who chairs the Appropriations energy and water subcommittees. Alexander was not the most hawkishly passionate national security champion on the subcommittee, but he was always a friend to the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Here’s the rest of Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor’s election run down:
HOUSE
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), incumbent. MO-5, Kansas City National Security Campus, National Nuclear Security Administration.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), incumbent. CA-15, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories California, National Nuclear Security Administration.
NEW FACE. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D), challenger. NM-3, Los Alamos National Laboratory, National Nuclear Security Administration (with DOE Environmental Management). Incumbent Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) is vacating the seat and won election to the U.S. Senate for New Mexico. He will replace Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), who is retiring.
UNDECIDED. NV-4, Nevada National Security Site, National Nuclear Security Administration. Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) led challenger Dan Rodimer (R) at deadline. Nevada, as the nation learned this week, took its time counting ballots, owing to the volume of mail-in voting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEW FACE. Ronny Jackson (R), challenger. TX-13, Pantex Plant, National Nuclear Security Administration. Jackson, the former White House doctor, trounced a Democratic challenger and easily won the seat being vacated by the longtime leader of Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry (D-Texas). Thornberry is retiring.
Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), incumbent. NM-1, Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque (main Sandia campus), National Nuclear Security Administration. DOE Albuquerque Office.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), incumbent. SC-1, Savannah River Site, DOE Environmental Management and National Nuclear Security Administration.
Rep. Chuck Fleischman (R-Tenn.), incumbent. TN-3, Y-12 National Security Complex, National Nuclear Security Administration. Oak Ridge Site, DOE Environmental Management.
SENATE
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), incumbent. Texas, Pantex Plant, National Nuclear Security Administration.
NEW FACE: Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), challenger. New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, National Nuclear Security Administration (with DOE Environmental Management at Los Alamos). Lujan is vacating his seat as the congressman from the district including Los Alamos. He will replace Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), who is retiring.
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), incumbent. South Carolina, Savannah River Site, DOE Environmental Management and National Nuclear Security Administration.
NEW FACE: Bill Hagerty (R), Tennessee, challenger. Y-12 National Security Complex, National Nuclear Security Administration. Oak Ridge Site, DOE Environmental Management. Hagerty, economic development commissioner under Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R), won the seat being vacated by Tennessee’s senior senator, the moderate Republican, former Tennessee governor, and chair of the Senate Appropriations energy and water subcommittee, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).
