McNally goes door-to-door to speak with potential constituents in his home state of Indiana.

While participating in ALPA’s Legislative Summit this past June, F/O Matt McNally (United), a longtime Indiana resident, acknowledged that his political interests include taking a more active role in government. The ALPA district advocate and Council 12 Legislative Affairs Committee member subsequently announced that he plans to run for the District 39 seat in the Indiana House of Representatives in 2024.

In a recent public statement, McNally said, “This community has given my family so much. My children have received an excellent education from our public schools, and my father and mother have had a wonderful retirement here, enjoying the many things that Hamilton County has to offer. I’m excited to have the opportunity to prove to voters that I’m ready to start working for Indiana.”

McNally previously ran for this same office in 2022 but was constrained by his status as a member of the military. Due to state policy, he couldn’t file as a candidate until he retired from the armed services, which he did in July of that year.

However, that delayed entry left him with only three and a half months to campaign. In the limited period he had available, McNally focused on making personal contacts, going door-to-door to speak with thousands of potential constituents. This strategy clearly paid off as he subsequently racked up a remarkable 13,428 votes—47.6 percent of the total ballots cast.

McNally earned a bachelor’s degree from the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., and pursued his passion for aviation by joining the armed services as a naval flight officer (NFO). While NFOs aren’t pilots, they perform various “mission specialist” functions on the flight deck, depending upon the type of aircraft they fly. At the time, McNally didn’t meet the vision requirements to qualify as a Navy pilot. Four years later, those requirements were eased, and he was able to solo by the time he was 27.

F/O Matt McNally (United), a district advocate and Council 12 Legislative Affairs Committee member, takes part in ALPA’s recent Legislative Summit.

McNally spent a total of 22 years in the military. He served for 16 years in the Navy and two years in the Navy Reserve before becoming a pilot for United Airlines in 2016. “Being an airline pilot is something I always wanted to do,” he acknowledged. “I doubted I’d be able to continue flying for the Navy for much longer and knew that maintaining my currency would be an important consideration when applying for an airline job.”

However, McNally resumed his military career in 2018, taking military leave from the airline until July 2022 to join the Michigan Air National Guard, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Like flying, McNally’s interest in politics began at a young age. “We always talked politics at the family dinner table,” he said, adding that, much like his military service, his bid for the House District 39 seat feels like a calling—a continuation of his civic duty.

Not surprisingly, McNally’s 2024 political agenda includes support for veterans’ affairs issues, particularly the need to address the prevalence of veteran homelessness. He currently serves as senior vice commander for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10003 in Carmel, Ind.

McNally also feels strongly about trade unionism. “A lot of Indiana’s antiunion legislation originated in my district,” he said. During the 2022 elections, the House District 39 incumbent, who supported the state’s restrictive labor policy, was running unopposed. “If I didn’t run against him, no one else would have,” he observed.

“I’ve had time to process what I experienced in the previous election and continue to gain insights from my suburban Indianapolis neighbors,” McNally remarked, noting that many of the individuals he’s spoken with want the freedom to pursue the American Dream—to be able to start a business, have a family, afford a home, and ensure their children receive the best possible education. “I’m running for office in 2024 for the same reasons I joined the military: to do all I can to safeguard those freedoms.”