Jared Hudson op-ed: America needs warriors, not career politicians

(Jared Hudson/Contributed, YHN)

In the heart of America, resilience runs deep. It’s the grit of farmers, the strength of working families, and the determination of patriots who refuse to give up on this country.

Yet in Washington, that spirit is too often absent. For decades, career politicians have failed to deliver. What we need now is not another weak voice in the crowd, but a warrior willing to fight for the people. I learned early that the right tool matters.

On the battlefield, using the wrong weapon can cost lives. As a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper, that lesson was a matter of survival. In politics, it’s just as true: if we keep sending the wrong people to Washington, we’ll keep getting the same broken results.

My name is Jared Hudson, and I am running for the U.S. Senate to represent Alabama. I didn’t come from privilege. I grew up a middle-class kid on my granddaddy’s farm in Etowah County.

My father, a pastor, taught me that integrity and service matter more than money or influence. Those values led me into the Navy, then law enforcement, and later into founding a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing women and children from human trafficking.

Now, as a husband and father of three daughters, I see what’s at stake. My granddaddy used to say he worried the next generation wouldn’t inherit the America he knew.

Looking at Washington today, I share that concern. Weak leadership left our borders open, our economy threatened, and our culture under attack. President Trump showed us what it means to fight for America.

He takes the hits, political and personal, because he puts the people first. Meanwhile, too many politicians can’t even be bothered to read the bills they vote on. They retreat when strength is needed most. America doesn’t need more of that. We need leaders who will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump to finish the job.

In the Senate, I will work to restore the greatest economy in history by protecting American workers and stopping the outsourcing of jobs. I’ll fight back against socialism, stop handouts for illegal aliens, and take on big pharma and entrenched industries that put profits ahead of people.

I’ll push for term limits, ban stock trading by politicians, and dismantle the bloated bureaucracy that serves itself instead of the citizens. I will also fight to protect our culture and values. I will not allow leftists to teach our kids to hate America. I will stand against radical gender ideology, defend women’s sports, and protect the principles that have made our nation strong.

I am not a typical candidate. But typical candidates are exactly why America is in trouble. In combat, a machine gun is a force multiplier. Used correctly, it can change the tide of battle. In Washington, a senator can do the same. I intend to be that force multiplier, for Alabama, for faith, for freedom, and for the future of our nation.

The elites may scoff at another combat veteran stepping into politics. But my ethos as a SEAL was simple: I am never out of the fight. That’s true on the battlefield, and it’s true now. I will not fail the people of Alabama.

It’s time to send warriors, not career politicians, to Washington.

Jarod Hudson is a former U.S. Navy Seal and Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2026.