With the midterm elections days away, a small group of Republicans born in the late 1990s and 2000s is hoping to become part of the first Gen Z class in Congress, and several of them say they want a hand in shaping where their party goes next, NPR reports.
A tossup race in Iowa
The best-known of them is Joe Mitchell, 29, the Republican nominee in Iowa's 2nd congressional district. His northeast Iowa race is one of just a handful rated a tossup, as voters sour on President Trump and Democrats see control of Congress as increasingly within reach. Mitchell, a former state senator and real estate developer, has Trump's endorsement.
His platform leans on what he calls an anti-corruption message: a six-term limit for House members, a ban on congressional stock trading, and a pledge not to take corporate PAC money. He argues the theme is rooted in his generation's frustration with the system. "I think people are looking for hope, regardless of what party they're in," he said.
How many Gen Zers are there?
Only one current House member is part of Gen Z: Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost, 29. NPR reports two more are expected to win Tuesday: Democratic socialist Melat Kiros, 29, in Colorado's 1st district, and Republican Michael Alfonso, 26, in Wisconsin's 7th. Alfonso, who is endorsed by Trump and married to the daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, would be the first person born in the 2000s to serve in Congress. Apart from Mitchell and Alfonso, most other Gen Z Republicans on the ballot are longshots in safe Democratic seats.
Future Caucus, a nonpartisan group supporting young officeholders, found that just 4% of congressional candidates this cycle were Gen Z, and that Gen Z candidates were the least likely of any generation to make it past the primary. Fewer than a third of those who ran filed as Republicans.
Building a bench
Adam Pennings of Run Gen Z, a group that helps young conservatives run and which Mitchell founded, said the goal is to prepare future leaders. In late October, the group endorsed more than 220 Gen Z and millennial conservatives nationwide. One is Riley Owen, 28, running in Utah's newly redrawn 1st district, which heavily favors Democrats. He said "people are hungry for a new solution, new faces."
What is "America First"?
Mitchell says the party's future is "an America First party" that asks, "how does this help the American people?" But the term is contested within the movement, especially as Republicans split over the U.S. war with Iran, a sore spot for GOP candidates in tough races. Mitchell has not come out against the war, saying Iran can't have a nuclear weapon but that he doesn't support "endless wars."
Sources: NPR