Born and raised in Jacksonville, State Representative Angie Nixon has been organizing and leading in her community for decades. She believes “American foreign policy should reflect the values of everyday Americans, not the interests of defense contractors and foreign lobbies. The US has spent billions of dollars waging war in Iran and jeopardizing the lives of American service members and Iranian civilians, all for a war that Americans did not ask for.” She has vowed to promote a foreign policy that “us[es] the UN Security Council and multilateral diplomacy — not unilateral military action — as the first tool for resolving international conflicts.”

Before joining Congress, Senator Jon Ossoff led a business investigating war crimes, corrupt officials, and organized crime for international news organizations. He knows that diplomacy is a much more valuable policy than war. He recognized that the U.S.’s endless wars carry not only a moral cost, but a high price tag as well. “We have squandered trillions on endless war. We have squandered trillions on bailouts for failed banks. We have squandered trillions on tax cuts for wealthy donors. Then we’re told there’s nothing left over for the people. The corruption must be rooted out.”

State Representative and former Paralympian Josh Turek has spent his political career fighting for working families and advocating for disability rights. He wants a foreign policy prioritizing diplomacy over endless wars. “I want to make sure that we don’t end up in forever wars and forever conflicts as well…If we’re going to put our great men and women in harm’s way, we need to make sure that these conflicts have the approval of Congress.”

Former KY House Representative Charles Booker “believes that U.S. foreign policy should be grounded in diplomacy, human rights, and international cooperation. He strongly opposes actions that result in endless wars that pull U.S. servicemembers into conflicts with no end in sight. He supports significantly reducing military spending and the ever-growing military industrial complex, raising the standard to ensure American tax dollars are no longer used to fund genocide, reasserting congressional oversight over foreign policy, and prioritizing peaceful conflict resolution in the face of the President’s reckless and lawless warmongering. Further, he believes that true national security includes addressing climate change, global health, and economic inequality—and that America should lead by example, not force.”

Born and raised in Maine, former Maine State Senator Troy Jackson is running this race as a “Mainer by birth. Logger by trade. Senator for the people. He has criticized the illegal war in Iran and believes American foreign policy should “keep our country safe, avoid reckless wars, stand up for working people and reflect our values.” He would “demand real congressional oversight, put diplomacy ahead of open-ended military intervention, rebuild relationships with allies like Canada and make sure Washington is investing in American workers and communities — not enriching defense contractors or multinational corporations.”

Senator Ed Markey has been an important ally during his tenure in Congress. His promotion of diplomacy and a sane foreign policy aims to keep Americans safe. From taking on the climate crisis to promoting nuclear disarmament, his pro-peace leadership in the Senate is critical.

Epidemiologist Abdul El-Sayed stumbled into politics after seeing firsthand how badly it damages healthcare in this country. He has consistently called for a ceasefire and peace for the Palestinian people, and “believes that our budget should reflect our values. He is an outspoken critic of outsized defense spending, and believes that we should spend less on building weapons of war, and instead invest taxpayer dollars in health care, education, and infrastructure here at home.”

Born and raised in Minnesota, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan has spent her adult life fighting to help families like hers, who are now hurting more than ever. She believes that “the gutting of our non-military foreign affairs capabilities is a large issue that we should work to reverse. The United States’s role in promoting public health, education, and democracy is not just essential to maintaining a stable global order, it aids in our safety, and promotes quality of life around the globe.”

Born and raised in Omaha, Dan Osborn is a “Navy Man, Mechanic, [and] Independent.” After leaving the military, he began work at Kellogg’s, eventually becoming president of his union and leading the members in a successful 11-week strike. His campaign is focused on prioritizing the working class. In the military, Dan saw lots of Pentagon waste firsthand and is ready to move spending to people:”Sometimes it seems the military overpays for everything — except soldiers. From forty-dollar hammers that cost ten bucks at the hardware store, to $10,000 switches that cost a couple of hundred dollars to manufacture, price gouging is draining our military of the resources to defend this country.”

Senator Sherrod Brown was a dependable voice on our issues during his time in Congress. He espouses a progressive, diplomacy-first approach to American foreign policy that we can work with. He has voted against US involvement in Yemen, voted against the Iraq War, supported the Obama-era Iran deal, and critiqued Trump’s withdrawal from President Obama’s Iran deal (which verifiably blocked Iran’s path to nuclear weapons).

Senator Jeff Merkley has been promoting peace during his time in Congress. He has voted to end endless wars, stop new wars, and prioritize diplomacy — including a condemnation of recent military escalation in the Middle East. “As we enter another day of strikes between Israel and Iran, we need de-escalation and restraint from all sides. Trump’s reckless decision to abandon the JCPOA nuclear agreement, cheered on by Netanyahu, helped bring us to this dangerous moment…Trump’s unconstitutional strikes on Iran were wrong on all counts—undermining regional stability and diplomatic efforts at a critical moment and risking a regional war that would have put American troops, diplomats, and civilians in danger. The U.S. must not be dragged into another war. We must reassert Congress’ constitutional authority to declare war and double down on diplomacy to secure a durable peace.”

Texas State Representative and Presbyterian seminarian James Talarico has committed to an anti-war platform, vowing “I will do everything in my power to ensure America always leads with moral clarity in its approach to foreign policy.” That includes “restor[ing[ investments in diplomacy and international development; working in partnership with our foreign allies and engaging in diplomacy that will help…avoid unnecessary wars; protect[ing] innocent life by stopping offensive weapons sales to the Netanyahu government; us[using] all of America’s financial and diplomatic leverage to secure a two-state solution; and us[using] our international influence to defend persecuted people around the world.”