A Marine Veteran & ‘Jeopardy!’ Champion is Running for Congress. Here’s Why

Marine Corps veteran Tyler Vandenberg is running for Congress in California. But before his current campaign, he won multiple games on "Jeopardy!" (Jeopardy!/Sony Pictures Television) Military.com | By Nick Mordowanec Published April 21, 2026 at 5:00am EDT Tyler Vandenberg served in the U.S. Marine Corps and won multiple games on Jeopardy! Now, he’s setting his sights on Capitol Hill.

The 31-year-old served mostly as a reservist during his seven years as a Marine between 2018 and 2025. He also has a personal claim to fame when it comes to trivia as a two-time champion of what he described as "America's program."

The military veteran has political aspirations, currently campaigning for a congressional race in California's 6th district that has recently been altered due to statewide redistricting. According to Ballotpedia, Vandenberg is one of five Democrats running in the June 2 primary that includes one Republican and one independent.

In an interview with Military.com, he talked about higher education and how his experience in the Marine Corps gave him the confidence to attempt to encourage change as a legislator.

Asked why he is running for office, Vandenberg replied, “I was very concerned about what was happening to our country.”

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Source: Military.com
Website: www.military.com