From Leatherneck to Lawmaker:

For combat vet Alex Cornell du Houx, service is a constant

War, according to the old generals’ proverb, is the continuation of politics by other means.  For 27-year-old Alex Cornell du Houx, the proverb is reversed – his career in politics is the continuation of his work as a warrior by other means.  With just over a year on the job representing the people of Brunswick, Maine, the former Marine reservist and combat vet is already making a name for himself as a champion for veterans in local politics.  His bill to provide in-state tuition for veterans from anywhere in the U.S. at Maine’s state universities was into law in September, and he’s now working on measures to alleviate homelessness among veterans.

Meanwhile, memories from his 2006 tour in Fallujah, where he saw “vehicles in lines to get gas that stretched as far as the eye could see,” propel his efforts on the national stage to increase U.S. energy independence.  That’s part of the work he does in his second job, as outreach director for the Truman National Security Project.  It helps keep him engaged in national politics, and it also helps the bills.  Although his legislative work is a full-time job, the pay is part time – about $10,000 a year.

Cornell du Houx was recognized for his efforts in clean energy this spring with an invitation to the White House on Earth Day.  He announced his bid for a second two-year term as a local lawmaker the same day.

Pondering Politics

Cornell du Houx enlisted in the Maine Corps Reserve in 2002, the same year he began studying government and theater at the liberal-leaning Bowdoin College.

By the time he was a junior, his infantry company was activated for duty in Fallujah.  “I personally didn’t agree with the war in Iraq, but it was my duty as a Marine to be there,” he said.

Profiled on NBC Nightly News as his unit prepared to ship out, he became a poster boy for troops who were proud to serve despite their problems with the policies of the war itself.

It was on the final leg of his journey home more than a year later, as he reflected on everything he had seen and done, that he began to ponder the possibility of a life in politics.

Even before he left for Iraq, he was frustrated with how veterans were being treated and the inadequacy of the Montgomery GI Bill, among a host of other issues.  His time downrange had only amplified his frustration.

“I don’t know that I was pissed off, but I was disheartened, “he said.  And on the long bus ride home, he decided he wanted to do something about it.  “I still had a year of school left, but I knew I wanted to continue with some form of public service – political service, community service or military service.”

And while the idea of a young enlisted Marine running for office might surprise some people, Cornell du Houx had been in the trenches of public service long before deploying to war.

A mixed education

An AmeriCorps volunteer who worked in local schools, Cornell du Houx also raised his hand for several service trips to South America.  Back home he built houses with Habitat for Humanity and served on the organizations’ board of director for Maine.  He did this all while going to school at Bowdoin, where he eventually was elected into key posts with College Democrats of America.

He says combining his education and activism with duty in the Marine Corps was a perfect marriage.

“Both Bowdoin and the Marines taught me that service has no political party, no original location,” Cornell du Houx wrote in an essay for Newsweek magazine in 2008.  “The marines taught me strength, vigilance and discipline.  Bowdoin taught me the values of activism, debate, intellectual curiosity and the importance of political participation.  Each of these values helped instill in me the common notion that if we really want to help change our communities, big and small, we must get involved, respect each other and never give up on our visions for tomorrow.”

Campaign plan

Cornell du Houx was still working on his senior thesis when he got a call from Maine’s Speaker of the House asking if he was interested in running for office.  His hard work before and after deployment had not gone unnoticed.

He had been thinking about it, but now it was real.

He formed a campaign committee of close friends and advisers and went to work knocking on doors, introducing himself and asking for money.  Maine’s campaign financing rules require candidates to collect 60 $5 checks from supporters to qualify for state funding.

“It took me about a month literally going door to door asking for $5,” he said.  From there, the state picks up the rest

“When you first start campaigning for yourself, it’s very odd saying, ‘Elect me.’  You don’t want to promote yourself, but the reality is you need to make sure people know what you’ve accomplished.”

But by all accounts he got the hang of it.  On the same day another young upstart was elected president, Cornell du Houx got the news that the voters of District 66 had given him their nod.

When the governor swore him and the other incoming state representative into office, he couldn’t help but remember the last time he swore an oath of serive.

“I hadn’t thought about it until that moment, “he says.  “You feel very humbled and privileged.  You know people have put their trust in you to be there.”

-Jon R. Anderson