Daniel Gade | |
|---|---|
.jpg) U.S. Army portrait | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daniel MacArthur Gade (1975-02-07)February 7, 1975 (age 50) Minot, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Wendy Williams |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) University of Georgia (MPA,PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1992–2017 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant colonel |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart (2) |
Daniel MacArthur Gade (born February 7, 1975) is an American disability and veteran services activist, political candidate, professor, and researcher. He became an amputee in 2005 while serving as acompany commander inRamadi, Iraq. Gade retired from theUnited States Army as alieutenant colonel in 2017. Gade was theRepublican nominee for the2020 election to representVirginia in theUnited States Senate losing to incumbent DemocratMark Warner.[1] He currently serves as the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services.[2]
Daniel MacArthur Gade was born on February 7, 1975, and raised inMinot, North Dakota. In 1997, he graduated from theUnited States Military Academy (West Point) with aBachelor of Science inEnvironmental Science. Gade graduated with aMaster of Public Administration and aDoctor of Philosophy inpublic administration andpublic policy from theUniversity of Georgia in 2007 and 2011, respectively.[3][4]
Gade was wounded in action twice and decorated for valor while serving as atank company commander in Iraq.[5] After Gade's second injury, his entire right leg was amputated.[6] He was awarded theBronze Star and theLegion of Merit.[7]
Gade has advocated for veteran disability policies that encourage self-reliance and vocational rehabilitation.[8] He has authored a couple of scholarly articles in that field, most notably inHealth Economics and theJournal of Public Administration Research and Theory.[4][3] In 2012, Gade began serving as an advisor at thePhilanthropy Roundtable for itsveterans work.[9] In 2013, he published an article inNational Affairs about disability benefits and their failure to achieve positive outcomes for disabled veterans.[10] In 2013, Gade authored an article inThe Wall Street Journal arguing that disability claims in theUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs backlog were due in large part to the agency's expansive definition of "disability".[11] Daniel Huang and Gade co-authored a policy review book,Wounding Warriors: How Bad Policy Is Making Veterans Sicker and Poorer, which questions the efficacy of present disability services for veterans.[12]
Gade served in the administration of PresidentGeorge W. Bush.[13] Gade returned to West Point in 2011, and he retired from the Army in 2017.[13] In 2015, Gade was appointed to theNational Council on Disability.[14] In 2017, Gade was nominated to be a member of theEqual Employment Opportunity Commission,[13] but later withdrew from consideration citing the "toxic political climate in Washington."[15]
Since 2019, Gade has worked as aProfessor of Practice atAmerican University'sSchool of Public Affairs.[16][17]
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Governor-electGlenn Youngkin nominated Gade to lead the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Veterans Services in January 2022.[18] He was confirmed to it.[19]
Gade was the Republican nominee for the2020 election to represent Virginia in the United States Senate.[20] He faced adjunct professor and public school teacher Alissa Baldwin and defense contractor and retired Army intelligence officer Thomas Speciale in the Republican primary.[21] Gade became the nominee after garnering 67% of the vote while Baldwin and Speciale received 18% and 15%, respectively.[20] The seat is held by DemocratMark Warner.[22] Warner was re-elected with 56% of the vote; Gade received 44%.[23]
Gade lives inMount Vernon, Virginia, with his wife, Wendy, and their three children.[24] He became theparalympic world champion at the 2010Ironman 70.3 inClearwater, Florida.[25]PresidentGeorge W. Bush described cycling with Gade as "unbelievable",[26] since he "rode with one leg, navigating some really tough trails".[27] Gade is a competitive cyclist.[28]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Gade lives in Mount Vernon, with his wife Wendy and three children.
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromVirginia (Class 2) 2020 | Most recent |