Eric Klotz is among a growing number of veterans stepping up to run for office — as Democrats — in traditionally conservative districts.
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Eric Klotz, a combat-disabled U.S. Navy veteran with nearly two decades of service in special operations, was sitting at his home in Hardy, a quiet community near Smith Mountain Lake, when the phone rang. On the other end was Eric Mosley, a fellow veteran and Democratic organizer, asking Klotz if he would once again serve — this time by running for the 39th House of Delegates District.
A longtime Republican who switched parties when Donald Trump first assumed office in 2017, Klotz, 53, had watched the political landscape shift dramatically during the first few months of Trump’s second presidency. The erosion of the country’s foundational principles, especially after his years of military service, troubled him deeply.
