Four Gen Z candidates aim to break into Congress in historic 2026 elections

Four candidates born in the 2000s are positioned to take office in January, marking the first time a class of Gen Z legislators would enter the U.S. House of Representatives. The group includes three Republicans and one Democrat, all of whom are currently serving or winning their districts.

In Iowa, 29-year-old Joe Mitchell is running for the state's second congressional district. The race is considered a tossup as voters weigh in on President Trump's leadership. Mitchell holds the president's endorsement and is a former state senator and real estate developer.

Mitchell said he is running on an anti-corruption platform that includes term limits for House members and a ban on congressional stock trading. He has also rejected donations from corporate political action committees. He described his platform as a response to high levels of distrust in institutions among Americans under 30.

"I just think that young people, on both sides of the aisle or no party affiliates, are frustrated with the system," Mitchell said. "They're frustrated and they should be."

In Wisconsin, 26-year-old Republican Michael Alfonso is expected to win the seventh congressional district. The seat is heavily Republican. Alfonso is married to the daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who previously held the seat. If elected, Alfonso will be the first person born in the 2000s to serve in Congress.

In Colorado, 29-year-old Democratic socialist Melat Kiros is favored to win the first congressional district. The seat is reliably blue. In Florida, 29-year-old Democrat Maxwell Frost is currently the only Gen Z member of the House. His reelection is expected, which would bring the total number of Gen Z legislators to four.

Despite their presence on the ballot, young candidates remain a statistical rarity in national politics. A report from the Future Caucus, a nonpartisan organization, found that only 4% of congressional candidates nationwide this cycle were Gen Z. They were the least likely generation of any to advance past the primary stage.

Among those few young candidates, most ran as Democrats. Under a third filed as Republicans, and another 16% ran as independents or third-party candidates. Conservative organizers are working to build a pipeline of young leaders to fill gaps as long-serving incumbents retire.

Adam Pennings, executive director of Run Gen Z, said the organization endorsed more than 220 Gen Z and millennial conservatives in late October. The slate included longshot candidates like Riley Owen, a 28-year-old Republican running in Utah's newly redrawn first district, which heavily favors Democrats.

Owen acknowledged the difficulty of his race but said voters are hungry for fresh ideas. He argued that the conservative movement has a bright future if it provides solutions to economic concerns. Mitchell said he views the future of the Republican Party as an America First party that focuses on how policies help the American people.