Service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off.
At BigTentUSA’s September 30 conversation with women veterans running for Congress, Rebecca Bennett, Cait Conley, and Nancy Lacore joined moderator Janessa Goldbeck of VoteVets to make the case for leadership grounded in duty, accountability, and country over party.
Drawing on their military careers, the candidates emphasized decisive leadership, teamwork across differences, and rebuilding trust with voters. They outlined priorities including lowering living costs, confronting corruption, restoring congressional oversight, and protecting military readiness. They warned that removing experienced military leaders threatens national security.
Winning competitive districts, they argued, requires reaching beyond party loyalists: meeting families where they are, listening to independents and Republicans, and connecting shared values to practical solutions. On election security, Conley expressed confidence in local officials while warning about efforts to discredit results.
Their challenge: turn concern into action. Knock doors, make calls, become a poll worker—and show up to vote.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Bennett is a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, officer in the Air National Guard, business leader in healthcare, and mom of two. Rebecca served in the Navy for over a decade as a helicopter pilot and aircraft commander. After serving her country for over fifteen years in the military and making waves in healthcare innovation, Rebecca is running for Congress to build a better future for our community. As a mom to two young girls, Rebecca understands first-hand the challenges of balancing work & family while navigating inflation and the rising cost of living.
Cait Conley is a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native, the daughter of a postal worker and a construction worker. She applied to West Point the day after 9/11 and went on to serve in the Army, first as a military police officer and then in special operations leadership, deploying six times and earning three Bronze Stars. She concluded her active-duty career as Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, where Russia sanctioned her for her work, and then served as a senior executive at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, protecting critical infrastructure and the systems that run our elections. She put her life on the line to serve this country, not any person or political party, and especially not corporate special interests
Nancy Lacore served our nation for 35 years in the Navy, a career that began as a helicopter pilot and culminated as a three star admiral and the Chief of Navy Reserve where she was entrusted to lead more than 60,000 sailors. Nancy’s career took her around the world, but it was always anchored by family and a deep love of country. In Nancy’s family, service runs deep. Following in her dad’s footsteps, Nancy accepted a ROTC scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross, and was commissioned into the Navy after graduation.
Janessa Goldbeck is the Senior Advisor to VoteVets, an organization dedicated to lifting up the voices of veterans on matters of national security, veterans’ care, and everyday issues that affect the lives of those who served, and their families. As a Marine Corps Combat Engineer Officer, Janessa led missions overseas and served as a Uniformed Victim Advocate, supporting fellow service members through some of their toughest moments. While on active duty, in addition to her assigned duties, Janessa worked to reform the military’s broken sexual assault reporting process and played a role in overturning the discriminatory Combat Exclusion policy. Janessa holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and a Master’s in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco. She currently serves as a Senior Advisor to VoteVets and on the California Governor’s Veterans Board.
