Pretty well exclusively Democrats.
I don’t have a precise count of former CIA employees currently in Congress or running for office in 2025, as this information isn’t comprehensively tracked in a single, up-to-date source, and my data doesn’t provide a complete picture. However, I can piece together what’s available from recent records and trends.
### Former CIA Employees in Congress
Based on available information:
- In 2018, a notable number of former intelligence officers, including those from the CIA, ran for Congress, primarily as Democrats. Examples include **Abigail Spanberger** (elected in Virginia’s 7th District) and **Elissa Slotkin** (elected in Michigan’s 8th District), both former CIA officers.[](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/their-new-mission-foil-trump-ex-intelligence-officials-run-congress-n907291)[](http://capitolhillblue.com/node/93576)[](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/meet-cia-spy-abigail-spanberger-resume-de-classified/story?id=58594837)
- A
2022 report noted that 11 former military-intelligence operatives, including CIA personnel, were elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 as Democrats,
with one more added in 2020, bringing the total to 12.[](http://joemiller.us/2022/10/record-number-of-cia-operatives-running-for-congress-via-the-democratic-party/)[](http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/20/ciad-a20.html)
- Specific individuals like **Will Hurd** (Republican, Texas), a former CIA operative, have also served in Congress, though he left office in 2021.[](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/their-new-mission-foil-trump-ex-intelligence-officials-run-congress-n907291)
- As of August 2025, it’s likely that some of these individuals, such as Spanberger and Slotkin, remain in Congress, but exact numbers depend on recent elections and retirements, which aren’t fully detailed in my sources.
### Former CIA Employees Running for Office
-
In 2018, around 30 Democratic candidates with military-intelligence backgrounds, including CIA operatives, ran for Congress, with 11 winning
.[](http://joemiller.us/2022/10/record-number-of-cia-operatives-running-for-congress-via-the-democratic-party/)[](http://sputnikglobe.com/20180417/democrats-cia-pentagon-midterms-1063651958.html)
-
In 2020, 35 such candidates ran, including the 11 incumbents, with 12 winning.[]
(http://joemiller.us/2022/10/record-number-of-cia-operatives-running
-for-congress-via-the-democratic-party/)[](http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/20/ciad-a20.html)
-
In 2022, 34 candidates were reported, including 11 incumbents and 23 new candidates from the CIA, Pentagon, or State Department.[](
http://joemiller.us/2022/10/record-number-of-cia-operatives-running-for-congress-via-the-democratic-party/)
- For 2024 or 2025 elections, specific data on new candidates is scarce, but the trend of former intelligence officers running, particularly as Democrats, has continued. For example, **Abigail Spanberger** announced a 2025 run for Virginia governor, indicating her continued political activity.
- There’s no clear data on how many are running in the current 2025 cycle, but the pattern suggests a steady presence of CIA-affiliated candidates, likely in the range of 20–30 based on past cycles.
### Key Observations
- The number of former CIA operatives in Congress or running for office has grown since 2018, driven partly by political motivations tied to dissatisfaction with certain administrations, as noted in reports about candidates opposing Trump’s policies.[]
(http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/their-new-mission-foil-trump-ex-intelligence-officials-run-congress-n907291)[](http://bertpowers.com/2021/01/12/cia-employees-running-for-office/)
- The exact number of ex-CIA individuals (as opposed to broader military-intelligence backgrounds) is harder to isolate, but names like Spanberger, Slotkin, and Hurd are consistently mentioned.[](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/their-new-mission-foil-trump-ex-intelligence-officials-run-congress-n907291)[](http://capitolhillblue.com/node/93576)[](http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-two-former-female-cia-133000591.html)
- The 119th Congress (2025–2026) profile doesn’t break down CIA-specific backgrounds, so I can’t confirm current members beyond those already elected in prior years.[]
(http://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48535/R48535.3.pdf)
### Limitations
- My data doesn’t cover the full 2024 election results or 2025 candidate lists, so I can’t provide an exact headcount for today.
- Sources often group CIA operatives with other military-intelligence roles, making precise CIA-only counts tricky.
- Some candidates may not publicly disclose their CIA background due to the agency’s culture of anonymity, potentially undercounting the total.[](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/their-new-mission-foil-trump-ex-intelligence-officials-run-congress-n907291)
### Estimate
- **In Congress (as of 2025)**:
Likely around 10–12 former CIA or military-intelligence operatives
, based on 2018–2020 election outcomes, with Spanberger and Slotkin as prominent examples.
- **Running for Office (2025)**: No specific 2025 data, but past trends suggest
20–30 candidates with CIA or related backgrounds may be active in recent or upcoming elections.
For a more precise number, you’d need to check current congressional records or 2025 candidate filings on sites like Ballotpedia or the FEC website. If you want me to dig into specific names or districts, let me know!
| 
