In a 2006 op-ed published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Paul Hackett, who had recently dropped out of a U.S. Senate race in Ohio, reflected on the origins of his candidacy:

Never before had Hackett considered running for office. But the strong beliefs about policies surrounding terrorism and national security that he acquired while serving in Iraq, coupled with the encouragement he received, propelled Hackett to run as the Democrat in a special election for Ohio's second congressional district. Although he lost the race to Republican Jean Schmidt, Hackett recounted that “the phone kept ringing.” Impressed by his congressional campaign – Hackett had become a “political rock star” – U.S. Senators Harry Reid (D–NV) and Chuck Schumer (D–NY) implored Hackett to challenge Mike DeWine, Ohio's two-term Republican incumbent senator. Told that his country needed him, Hackett viewed the U.S. Senate race as “another opportunity to serve [his] country and [his] party.”

Recruitment by the Democratic Party also paved the way for Tammy Duckworth's decision to run for Congress in 2006. The previous year, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) invited wounded Illinois veterans to the State of the Union address. Duckworth, who had recently lost both legs in combat in Iraq, attended as one of the guests. A few months later, when she earned a promotion to major, she once again found herself face to face with Senator Durbin; Duckworth's new responsibilities involved advocating on behalf of military families and testifying before Congress about military health care. Amid the increasingly unpopular Iraq war, and in an attempt to refute the notion that Democrats were “soft” on national security, the party sought to convince veterans to enter U.S. House races in traditionally Republican districts. So, Senator Durbin targeted Duckworth, who had never before considered a career in elective office. Within two months, Duckworth found herself on the campaign trail, often accompanied by Democratic heavy hitters such as Rahm Emanuel and Barack Obama.