One is a Republican, the other is a Democrat, but they have one thing in common: they are both 25 years old.
Furthermore, both might be the first members of Generation Z elected to the US House of Representatives, and they are dissatisfied with the current state of US politics and want change.
While today’s politics has disillusioned, angered, and depressed many young people and members of Generation Z, studies show that it has inspired some to run for public office as soon as they are legally eligible.
The eldest members of Generation Z will reach 25 this year, the minimum age to run for a House seat. The Pew Research Center defines Generation Z as persons born between 1997 and 2005.
Two members of Generation Z are currently competing for a seat in the United States House of Representatives.
Karoline Leavitt, a former staffer to then-President Donald Trump, won the Republican primary for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday. Last month, she turned 25.
Leavitt’s victory comes less than a month after Democratic nominee Maxwell Frost became the first member of Generation Z to win a congressional primary.
Last month, he secured the Democratic nomination for Florida’s 10th Congressional District. He is expected to be elected to Congress in November since the district generally supports Democrats.
Both Leavitt and Frost emphasised their youth during their campaigns.
Under Trump, Leavitt was an assistant press secretary and spokesman for New York Representative Elise Stefanik. She also emphatically echoed Trump’s assertion that the 2020 presidential election was stolen during her campaign.
Throughout her campaign, Leavitt portrayed her childhood as an advantage rather than a disadvantage. She advocated that more conservative views should be heard by younger people.
“We live in a very one-sided culture,” Leavitt said National Public Radio.
In July, Leavitt told NPR that she wants to see improvements in the present political climate.
“How can we break free from that constraint? By electing young people to government, we can reach out to these voters, give them a national platform, and show them ideas, programmes, and values that they aren’t hearing anywhere else.”
Following her triumph, she cited her age as an advantage that set her apart from the competition.
“As many of you are aware, one of the main reasons I felt motivated to run for Congress in the first place was my youth. Because my generation of Americans, your children and grandkids, are not properly served by the current status of our education system, media, and society.”
Frost, an Afro-Cuban, ran on leftist causes such as Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, student loan forgiveness, and an end to gun violence. “Don’t count out young people,” Frost tweeted on August 24, the day he won the primary campaign.
Frost has admitted that age is a symbolic figure in his campaign.
“Yes, we march, yes, we participate in mutual help, and yes, we use social media. And now we’re running for office because we feel we’re ready to be in the room and be the voice for our communities, and we believe we can do so, and we believe young people should be able to do so “He stated.
Leavitt and Frost aren’t the only members of Generation Z that are dissatisfied with the present political climate.
According to a study conducted by The New York Times and Siena College, only 32% of voters aged 18 to 29 are “almost likely” to vote in November.
According to the study, 22% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 indicated they would not vote if Trump and Biden ran again for president in 2024.
Sarah, a New York Times reader, shared her thoughts on US politics: “As a 26-year-old who has voted in every election since turning 18, my disappointment is palpable. Young people are either indifferent or enraged, and I frequently oscillate between the two.”
Olivia Miller, a Gen Z IT professional in New York, has voted in major elections since she was 18.
She did, however, express her dissatisfaction with the US political climate. “I have the impression that I am simply voting for the least disappointing candidates,” she told China Daily.
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