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Terry Virts - Astronaut Biography

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Terry Virts is originally from Columbia, Maryland. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master's degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and graduated from the General Management Program at the Harvard Business School. Terry lives with his partner and two kids in Houston, Texas.

Terry is a retired Air Force Pilot. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 30 years, flying in 45 combat missions. He then worked as an astronaut at NASA, commanding the International Space Station, where he spent seven months in space.

Texas' 9th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 ...

Terry Virts

Terry is the owner of Falcon Solutions and 39A Productions, and is a guest lecturer at the Harvard Business School. He previously worked as an astronaut for NASA and the commander of the International Space Station. He also directed several films. He served in the U.S. Air Force as an operational F-16 fighter pilot, experimental test pilot, and colonel for 30 years.

Terry Virts previously ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Texas in 2026 but did not appear on the Democratic primary ballot.

Terry Virts launches Democratic bid for Congress

Terry previously ran for the U.S. Senate in 2026, but withdrew to run for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Texas District 9.

Campaign Website

Believes that life has become too expensive for all but the wealthiest Americans, highlighting issues of affordability in healthcare, groceries, and housing.

Plans to help lower costs for healthcare and groceries.

Supports helping farmers and ranchers by expanding their markets and decreasing input costs.

Supports reducing overregulation to help small businesses thrive.

Supports reducing regulations to help small businesses.

- Plans to help lower costs for healthcare and groceries.
- Supports helping farmers and ranchers by expanding their markets and decreasing input costs.
- Supports reducing regulations to help small businesses.

Economy

As of January 22, 2026, Terry Virts’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Public Safety

Supports healthcare reforms, including expanding Affordable Care Act subsidies and subsidizing preventative cancer screenings.

- Supports healthcare reforms, including expanding Affordable Care Act subsidies and subsidizing preventative cancer screenings.

Healthcare

Education

Energy & the Environment

Supports reforms to strengthen democracy, including term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court, campaign finance reform, controlling presidential powers, outlawing gerrymandering, and banning insider stock trading.

Supports reforms to strengthen democracy, including term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court, campaign finance reform, and outlawing gerrymandering.

Supports banning insider stock trading within Congress.

- Supports reforms to strengthen democracy, including term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court, campaign finance reform, and outlawing gerrymandering.
- Supports banning insider stock trading within Congress.

Voting & Elections

Supports a strong border policy to maintain control over immigration.

Supports a strong border policy to maintain control over immigration, while advocating for a guest worker program for undocumented immigrants who have held jobs, paid taxes, and followed the law.

Supports treating immigrants with dignity and respect, limiting ICE to focus on gang and criminal activity, and advocates for a guest worker program for undocumented immigrants who have held jobs, paid taxes, and followed the law.

Plans to limit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to focus on gang and criminal activity.

Supports a strong national security stance, advocating for U.S. leadership in human rights, restoring alliances, opposing authoritarian regimes, and opposing cuts to USAID and NASA.

- Supports a strong border policy to maintain control over immigration, while advocating for a guest worker program for undocumented immigrants who have held jobs, paid taxes, and followed the law.
- Plans to limit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to focus on gang and criminal activity.
- Supports a strong national security stance, advocating for U.S. leadership in human rights, restoring alliances, opposing authoritarian regimes, and opposing cuts to USAID and NASA.

Foreign Policy and Immigration

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Terry is a retired Air Force pilot and a former NASA astronaut. He previously served on the board of multiple energy and technology companies. 

Terry is currently running for Texas' 9th Congressional District.

Former astronaut Terry Virts switches from Senate race to ...

Supports making healthcare, groceries, and housing more affordable.

Supports reducing overregulation to help small businesses.

Supports helping farmers and ranchers by expanding their markets while decreasing input costs.

Supports "strong democratic reforms, including term limits and reducing money's influence in politics."

Supports term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court, campaign finance reform, presidential power regulation, gerrymandering prohibition, and an insider stock trading ban.

Supports "a strong border policy that maintains control over who comes in the country."

Supports limiting ICE to focusing on gang and criminal activity.

Supports increasing funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

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- Your US Representative represents the interests of your district in the US House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Texas currently has 36 US Representatives.
- US Representatives can author, sponsor, debate, and vote on bills that become national law.
- Representatives may serve on congressional committees. Committees focus on certain policy areas, such as transportation, education, or labor. They may also run for higher positions within their party, such as the Speaker of the House or Majority/Minority Leader.
- Representatives are elected to two-year terms. To hold this office, a candidate must be a legal resident of Texas for at least seven years before their election. US Representatives are paid a salary of $174,000/year.