Michael Embrich’s story begins long before he ever wore a uniform or walked the halls of government. It begins with two immigrant families—Italian and German—who came to America with modest means and an outsized belief in hard work, faith, and service. Service wasn’t just something talked about at the dinner table in the Embrich household—it was expected. His great-grandfather wore Navy blue in World War I. His grandfather followed in World War II. That legacy was never about medals or stories told loudly; it was about quietly doing your duty for the people you love and the country you believe in.
Growing up in Bayonne, New Jersey, Michael learned early what work really means. As a teenager, he clocked in at local factories, shoulder-to-shoulder with people who kept their families afloat with tired hands and stubborn pride. It was there—between the whistle of shift changes and the smell of machine oil—that he decided he wanted to serve in a different way. He joined the military, becoming part of the post-9/11 generation that raised its hand during one of America’s most uncertain times.
When he returned home as one of the first post-9/11 veterans to separate from service, he expected the country he served to be ready for his generation. Instead, he discovered the GI Bill was still built for another era—its payments based on Vietnam-era tuition, nowhere near enough for modern college costs. Rather than accept that reality, Michael went to work. In Washington and in New Jersey, he fought to modernize the benefit. The Post-9/11 GI Bill was passed—opening the doors of higher education for over a million veterans and military families, including himself. It remains one of the largest expansions of veterans’ education in American history, and Michael helped build it.
Since then, he has never stopped fighting for those who served.
Michael led one of New Jersey’s major veterans service organizations as State Commander. He worked on President Obama’s Zero Veterans Homelessness Initiative in New York City, helping move thousands of veterans into secure housing. He continued his service as a civilian leader within the military, supporting those in uniform while working to fix the systems around them.
When toxic exposure from burn pits and chemicals began silently killing veterans, Michael helped push for the PACT Act—expanding care and recognition for those with cancers and illnesses tied to their service. He has written extensively and unapologetically about what veterans face today. As a Rolling Stone contributor, he has documented the dismantling of federal protections, attacks on the VA, the firings of dedicated public servants, and the veterans whose lives and livelihoods have been upended by political negligence.
In New Jersey politics, Michael is known as a skilled and determined operative—appearing on power and influence lists across the state—not for chasing titles, but for getting results. During the Harris campaign, he worked to identify, reach, and mobilize veterans and military families, understanding that they are not a political afterthought—they are a decisive voting bloc.
Michael believes that veterans and their families are at the heart of the American story—and that our party must earn their trust, not assume it. He is running because he knows how to do exactly that. He has lived the challenges veterans face, written the policies that change their lives, and built coalitions that deliver real outcomes.
He is determined to help Democrats not only craft policy that honors service, but to speak to veterans and their families with respect, honesty, and urgency. Because if America is going to break cycles of poverty, expand opportunity, and meet the promise we make to every person who serves—then we must listen to them, fight for them, and win with them.
Michael Embrich is ready to lead that fight.