Tyler Vandenberg served within the U.S. Marine Corps and received a number of video games on Jeopardy! Now, he’s setting his sights on Capitol Hill.
The 31-year-old served principally as a reservist throughout his seven years as a Marine between 2018 and 2025. He additionally has a private declare to fame on the subject of trivia as a two-time champion of what he described as “America’s program.”
The navy veteran has political aspirations, presently campaigning for a congressional race in California’s sixth district that has lately been altered as a result of statewide redistricting. In response to Ballotpedia, Vandenberg is one among 5 Democrats working within the June 2 main that features one Republican and one unbiased.
In an interview with Army.com, he talked about increased schooling and the way his expertise within the Marine Corps gave him the boldness to aim to encourage change as a legislator.
Requested why he’s working for workplace, Vandenberg replied, “I used to be very involved about what was taking place to our nation.”
How Army Service Formed His Life
Vandenberg began his Marine Corps journey in September 2018, getting into the service as a walk-on.
He accomplished Marine Corps Officer Candidates Faculty (OCS) after which went to tank faculty, graduating proper about on the time the COVID-19 pandemic was starting in March 2020. He was there for a few of the final of the Marine Corps tank capabilities after the service divested all of its M1A1 Abrams predominant battle tanks to the U.S. Army as a part of Drive Design 2030.
“My time within the Marine Corps was an actual form of change in the way in which that I did issues as a result of it made me all the time aware of wanting to try this as excellently and as completely as attainable,” he informed Army.com.
It is an enormous profit to my life. I would not be the individual I’m at present with out it.
Vandenberg then spent a while at Camp Pendleton, closing down a tank unit. When requested what he needed to do subsequent, he mentioned he wound up transferring laterally to intelligence.
He did simply that, working as an intelligence officer for roughly 5 years in Hawaii, Germany, and throughout some bases within the U.S.
“The Marine Corps made me a stronger, extra disciplined individual,” he mentioned. “The love of nation and the oaths to the Structure had been already fairly essential to me once I joined. That is one of many huge causes I did.
“However I feel that serving with and round different Marines…it is a fixed technique of desirous to be stronger and higher and do the job extra successfully to just be sure you’re a superb a part of the entire, but additionally that you simply’re main the Marines that you simply’re answerable for as successfully as attainable.”
Marine Profession Leads Vandenburg to Ivy League Schooling
Previous to becoming a member of the Marines, Vandenberg studied worldwide relations and obtained his undergraduate diploma from American College in Washington, D.C. He referred to as it “an exquisite establishment” that put him on a path to meet profession aspirations.
“I really feel very strongly about my time there,” he mentioned. “It was an important alternative for me, particularly if you wish to do any form of political work or worldwide relations as I did, there’s actually nothing that may examine to really being immersed in Washington, D.C. when you’re learning the topic and attempting to intern and acquire expertise. It was an actual profit for me.”
At the moment, he’s within the course of of achieving his grasp’s diploma in public coverage from Harvard College.
He credited the chance to pursue his schooling to the GI Invoice. After he left Germany, he utilized for grad faculty as a method of “wanting to maintain bettering myself academically.”
Vandenberg was accepted, in fact, and left his active-duty service in Germany to return to the U.S. It additionally offered the chance to obtain veterans advantages, together with not having to pay out of pocket for what sometimes prices tens of hundreds of {dollars}, if no more.
“I completely couldn’t afford to go to an Ivy League faculty if the navy hadn’t been there for me and if these veterans advantages hadn’t been there for me,” he mentioned. “But it surely’s a possibility that was obtainable to me, and I took it. So, right here we’re.”
‘Marines Do not Lose’: Three ‘Jeopardy!’ Appearances Have been a Lifetime Thrill
Vandenberg and his Marine Corps uniforms could also be acknowledged by Jeopardy! Viewers.
Whereas in the midst of a pandemic and serving his nation, he determined to use for the long-running TV recreation present by way of its annual assessments supplied on-line. After a pair makes an attempt he was requested to audition, which went “rather well.”
He was supplied an opportunity to be a contestant within the first season after former host Alex Trebek handed, which led to numerous visitor hosts briefly taking the reins.
He recalled very distinctly how previous to taking pictures his first episode, he requested for permission to put on the uniform for his chain of command. He informed his firm commander, who mentioned he would give Vandenburg a name again.
“I bought a name from a quantity I did not acknowledge, which I picked up,” Vandenberg mentioned. “And it was my battalion commander, a lieutenant colonel. And he mentioned, ‘Hear, Vandenberg, we have by no means met. We have by no means spoken. However I perceive you are going to be on Jeopardy!. You are confirmed to put on the uniform, however I would like you to recollect one thing: Marines do not lose.’”
When Vandenberg appeared on set in Los Angeles in his service alphas, he came upon that week’s visitor host was ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
“I ended up enjoying a midweek recreation towards any person who’d received twice earlier than,” he mentioned. “It is all the time somewhat intimidating. You all the time must unseat the returning champion. I bought the chance to not solely make it by way of that first recreation, however two.”
Throughout his third contest that he didn’t be ok with the end result, although he ended up making about $42,000 in his two victories. That was the end result of his Jeopardy! Journey, or so he thought.
Although he didn’t win 5 video games, which is the routine bar used for contestants to make the present’s Event of Champions, “a humorous factor occurred” and Vandenberg obtained a textual content whereas stationed in Germany asking if he would return to play.
That was as a result of particular person who unseated him being knocked out by one of many present’s greatest reigning champions, the place a number of rivals over a two-season run had been profitable 20-plus consecutive video games.
Consequently, the variety of five-game victors was sparse. It allowed Vandenberg to be invited again as a part of a wildcard-like match.
Carrying his gown blues, he made it to the finals of that match—which he described because the present’s “varsity spherical”—and claimed second, strolling away with a pleasant $50,000 comfort prize.
“It was an exquisite likelihood to do one thing somewhat bit uncommon,” he mentioned. “The response from the navy neighborhood on-line was truly very optimistic. Marines had been very excited, I feel, to see one among their very own on the present.”
Household of Service
Vandenberg’s foray within the political area comes with the backdrop of his personal navy profession, and that of his household offering him steerage and a path ahead.
His grandfather was within the Navy in the course of the Korean Struggle. His uncle was within the Navy in the course of the Chilly Struggle.
“However I used to be drawn to serve as a result of I felt like I needed to do my half in the way in which issues work on the earth,” he mentioned. “I used to be a global relations man in faculty, and a giant factor that I consider is that we should always all the time be keen to stroll the stroll for issues that we care about and the issues that we wish to be professionals in.
“An enormous a part of worldwide relations is the use, or the non-use, of navy pressure. And I needed to guarantee that if I used to be going to work on this area, that I had finished my half to be in that line as effectively.”
‘It Seems to be Like America’
Now, he’s in a crowded area in a district type of new to California voters following the passing of Proposition 50 in November 2025—an modification that led to earlier district incumbent, Democratic Rep. Ami Bera, now working in California’s third District, successfully leaving this “new” seat vacant.
The district Vandenberg is attempting to signify, which incorporates Sacramento and in line with Census information had a inhabitants exceeding 747,000 residents in 2023, has immigrant communities from everywhere in the world.
The Sacramento space has one of many largest populations of individuals from Afghanistan, he famous, along with swaths of Ukrainians, Russians, Vietnamese, Chinese language and Taiwanese Individuals. There are additionally many South Asians and, in fact, a big Hispanic and Latino neighborhood.
It is a very numerous place. It seems to be like America, proper? It seems to be like probably the most form of huge constellation of peoples and the range that I actually love about this nation.
The problems close to and pricey to these within the sixth District mirror issues throughout the nation. At present, that interprets to Vandenberg and different present and aspiring lawmakers receiving questions on affordability and points pertaining to the price of well being care, fuel, groceries, childcare and now navy conflicts overseas.
He mentioned he turned “involved” following the 2024 presidential election. Particularly, he recalled feeling “actually bothered” how in early 2025 new members of Congress had been being sworn in and expressed receiving threats as a result of political animosities—as a part of oaths made in the identical vein as navy service members, to the U.S. Structure.
His two main marketing campaign speaking factors are affordability and authorities accountability, the latter an umbrella time period for decreasing criminality and administrations going to Congress earlier than starting navy warfare.
“For hundreds and hundreds of American service members over the lifetime of our nation, that has meant that they’ve given the final full measure of devotion they’ve finished,” he mentioned. “They’ve actually given their lives to defend that Structure.
“I felt that I would finished it as soon as earlier than, and possibly now could be the time for folks like me to step up and for veterans to step up who do consider it in these phrases and who wish to guarantee that there is a nation and a democracy that we served as soon as and that we wish to serve once more.”
