Bert Mizusawa is a retired United States Army Major General running in the 2026 Republican primary. With over 30 years of military service and national security experience, Mizusawa has held leadership positions in defense, intelligence, and diplomacy. He was named to Donald Trump's foreign policy advisor team in March 2016 and served on Trump's presidential transition team, where he led defense and national security vetting. Previously, he campaigned as a Republican candidate for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District in 2010 and ran for U.S. Senate in 2018 but did not collect enough signatures to appear on the ballot. Mizusawa's background includes military service where he led a Soviet defector to safety across the Military Demarcation Line in Korea under attack from North Korean soldiers.
Bert Mizusawa is a retired United States Army Major General with over 30 years of military and national security service. His military career included heroic service in Korea where he led a Soviet defector to safety across the Military Demarcation Line while under attack from North Korean soldiers. After his military service, he worked in the U.S. Department of State and later in the Central Intelligence Agency. In March 2016, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump named Mizusawa to his foreign policy advisor team. During Trump's first presidential transition, Mizusawa was a member of the approximately 100-person transition team and led defense and national security vetting efforts. He has twice previously sought federal office unsuccessfully: in the 2010 Republican primary for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District and in the 2018 Senate race (disqualified for insufficient signatures).