Candidates who are veterans will factor into key political contests

Military veterans will figure in 162 House and Senate races on Tuesday, with 182 former service members contending for the slots. Three veteran-versus-veteran contests in particular are worth noting, for their ability to factor into their parties' quests to control Congress.

The races are as follows: 

Arizona Senate: Martha McSally vs. Mark Kelly

In this matchup, Democrat challenger Kelly takes on Republican incumbent McSally, who in 2019 was appointed to fill the vacancy after longtime GOP Sen. John McCain died. 

As an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt pilot who flew combat patrol in Iraq, McSally in 2001 sued the Defense Department over American women service members being required to wear the Muslim abaya when off base in Saudi Arabia.

Challenger Kelly served in the Navy as an A-6E Intruder attack aircraft pilot, and later was a Space Shuttle pilot for NASA. His wife, then-Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, was shot and nearly killed by an attacker in 2011, prompting Kelly to become active in gun control advocacy.

Kentucky Senate: Mitch McConnell vs. Amy McGrath

In another veteran-against-veteran contest, Democrat Amy McGrath aims to unseat Republican Mitch McConnell.

Republican Senate Majority Leader McConnell spent five weeks in training for the Army Reserve before he was discharged in 1967 for a medical condition involving his optic nerve.  

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, McGrath was a career Marine Corps fighter pilot who flew multiple combat missions in an F/A-18 Hornet, including 51 missions in Afghanistan. 

Texas 23rd District: Gina Ortiz Jones vs. Tony Gonzales

Incumbent Republican Rep. Will Hurd is retiring at the end of his term, leaving his seat open for two challengers.

Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones is a former Air Force intelligence officer who served in Iraq.

Republican Tony Gonzales also comes from the world of military intelligence, having been a cryptologist in Iraq and Afghanistan while serving in the Navy.

Others to watch 

Other veterans running for office include those who have gained fame in various capacities.

Former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw lost an eye to an explosive device while on his third deployment to Afghanistan. Recognizable by his distinctive eye patch, incumbent Republican Crenshaw is running against Democrat Sima Ladjevardian in Texas' 2nd Congressional District.

Former Army Ranger and bestselling "Outlaw Platoon" author Sean Parnell, a Republican, is facing off against Democrat incumbent and former Marine Corps officer Conor Lamb. The two are battling over the House's 17th Congressional District in Pennsylvania.  

Former Army National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos gained acclaim when in 2015 he was among three young Americans who stopped a terrorist attack aboard a train to Paris. Republican Skarlatos is challenging Democrat incumbent Peter DeFazio in a race for Oregon's 4th Congressional District.