We're Bringing NYC's Military-Connected Community to the Table — Again.
Applications are open for our 2026 Candidate Roundtable Initiative, and this time, we're taking it to the race for Capitol Hill.
Photo by Ian Hutchinson
Congressional primaries are coming. Candidates are knocking on doors, filing paperwork, and lining up endorsements. Most of them haven’t had a real conversation with a veteran, a military spouse, or a Gold Star family member about what they actually need from elected representation.
That changes this spring.
Reintroducing Our Candidate Roundtable Initiative
Our flagship, structured program puts advocates from NYC’s military-connected community face-to-face with candidates running in congressional districts NY-05 through NY-15.
Advocates meet directly with candidates to discuss the issues that matter most to them (such as housing, healthcare, employment, benefits, mental health, and family support) and to learn where candidates stand before they win a seat. The primary is the opening round. We’ll continue into the general election in the fall.
This isn’t new ground for us. Last October, we ran this same initiative for the 2025 Mayoral, Public Advocate, and Comptroller races. Candidates sat down with members of our community, answered hard questions, and left knowing this constituency is organized and paying attention. We’re bringing that same energy to Congress.
Who Can Participate
This is open to service members, veterans, family members, advocates, and allies across the five boroughs. The one requirement: you must be a constituent of the district where the roundtable is being held.
If you live in NY-05 through NY-15 and you’re part of this community, or you show up for it, we want you at the table. This will be a detailed and selective process, with only six advocates to be chosen for each district.
The Dates
Applications close April 17.
Roundtables run May 4 through May 14, with a mix of virtual and in-person sessions (district depending).
The fall general election roundtables will follow. Apply now, and you’ll be considered for both cycles.
We’re Publishing A Voter’s Guide
Every candidate who participates will be on the record. Following the roundtables, Five Borough Veterans will publish a voter’s guide covering where each candidate stands on the issues raised and how confident our advocates are in their abilities, so the broader military-connected community across all five boroughs can make informed decisions at the ballot box. If you can’t participate directly, the guide is for you.
Why this matters
New York City has one of the largest veteran populations in the country. Tens of thousands of military-connected residents spread across every borough, every congressional district in this range, and yet when candidates talk about community, we’re usually an afterthought, mentioned in a Veterans Day statement, consulted after the fact, if at all.
The Candidate Roundtable Initiative is built on a straightforward premise: the time to build a relationship with someone entering public office is before they get there. The people in the room during these roundtables are the people those candidates will remember when they’re making decisions in Washington.
That’s the point.
Questions? Reach us at info@fiveboroveterans.com
In Service,
The Five Borough Veterans Team
