For many who traverse the halls of Capitol Hill as staffers, their tenure is only a few years. But recently the Senate said goodbye to a 30-year veteran of the institution. “After three decades, I have enough stories to fill a book,” said Lynden Armstrong, who retired as deputy assistant sergeant-at-arms and chief information officer. 

Along the way, he witnessed or guided every major technological advancement that hit the Capitol, from the advent of the internet to crafting policy on the use of artificial intelligence. And he helped make change of another kind, co-founding one of the most consequential staff associations in a generation: the Gay, Lesbian and Allies Senate Staff Caucus. 

Growing up in rural New Mexico on a ranch and farm, Armstrong never expected to work in Washington. In college he majored in animal science, which made it even more surprising when the dean called him into his office in 1994 and asked him if he wanted to intern for the university’s lobbyist. That quickly transitioned to an internship for Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., which led to a paid staff assistant position. “I had an idea that I was probably going to stay there a couple of years and then, as my mom always told me, get a real job,” Armstrong said.

It didn’t take long for Armstrong to realize he would not be following a path to policy or communications work. “I was much more interested in supporting the institution. I tried the policy route and decided I hated writing letters and doing all of that reading,” said Armstrong, who moved up to oversee information technology for the Senate office. “With email, there was an incredible amount of data sets, and it opened up a whole new way to interact with his constituents.” 

After several years as chief clerk on the Senate Rules Committee, he landed at the Sergeant-at-Arms office in 2014 as the institution was dealing with even more rapid change. “Constituent communication and their expectations just exploded in volume and speed, especially when you start pulling in social media,” he said. Armstrong stayed for another 11 years, overseeing everything from bolstering the institution’s cybersecurity capabilities to moving Senate data into the cloud.

Meanwhile, he found himself at the center of a firestorm in 2004 as he helped to launch the GLASS Caucus, a staff association that is still active today. 

The 1990s and 2000s were a different era for LGBTQ staffers, especially Republicans. When Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between only a man and a woman for purposes of federal law, Domenici voted in favor. A few years later, as lawmakers debated solidifying the same-sex marriage ban with a constitutional amendment, a liberal blogger used the questionable tactic of “outing” Republican staffers to pressure them and their bosses. “I had friends who lost their jobs because of that blogger,” Armstrong said.

So Armstrong felt he needed to act. He had already come out to Domenici and his wife, Nancy, even before coming out to his own family. “I was in a position where I felt like I was safe and could be a voice for those people.” Now he told the senator he wanted to co-found a staff association for gay and lesbian staffers. “Without hesitation, the senator said, ‘You know Nancy and I love you. If this is something you feel you need to do, we’re here to fully support you.’” 

The staff caucus became a national story, putting Armstrong in an unusual place for a congressional staffer — in the spotlight. But as he accepted a lifetime achievement award from the Congressional Management Foundation a couple years ago, Armstrong stressed that the Senate runs on all the work behind the scenes.

“This position has shown me that I am just one of the many people who dedicated their careers to public service, and I am fortunate to be one of them,” he said.

Bradford Fitch is a former Capitol Hill staffer, former CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, and author of “Citizen’s Handbook for Influencing Elected Officials.”