US midterms see 97 young winners as Gen Z representation triples

The 2026 midterm elections held in the US last week brought a strong “blue wave” for Democrats, with young candidates making a prominent showing by defeating both newcomers and veteran rivals.

Across the country, particularly within Democratic ranks, young candidates such as James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa in Texas, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Annie Andrews in South Carolina, Melat Kiros in Colorado, and Josh Turek in Iowa defeated older, more experienced opponents in their respective races.

Elected to Congress at age 29, Kiros became the first female representative from Generation Z.

In Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, 27-year-old Republican Michael Alfonso defeated 67-year-old Democrat Fred Clark.

Santiago Mayer, executive director of the youth-focused pro-democracy group Voters of Tomorrow, described the scale of the movement as a “youthquake” rather than a “youth wave”.

Speaking to The Hill, Mayer pointed to the frustration experienced by young people and noted that the system was built not merely for older generations, but specifically for the wealthy within those generations.

“I think we are seeing tremendous energy behind young candidates who understand that the system is rigged against young people and how it is being manipulated,” Mayer said.

Noting that the net worth of the baby boomer generation has increased by nearly 30% since 2022, Mayer added that the wealth of those under 30 has declined by 20%.

“We need candidates who are working to fix this,” Mayer said.

According to data from Future Caucus, more than 40 millennial non-incumbents won in the midterms, while 50 others secured re-election to retain their seats in Congress.

Layla Zaidane, president and CEO of Future Caucus, emphasized that the election results were no coincidence.

“It is important to remember that waves, especially tsunamis, do not appear out of nowhere,” Zaidane said.

Stating that more than one-third of congressional candidates were under the age of 45, Zaidane reported that this proportion had stood at just 1 in 4 candidates in 2024.

Zaidane reported that at least 97 of the 272 candidates who ran, or 38%, won their races, tripling Generation Z representation in the House of Representatives.

Other young candidates also retain the potential to overtake older rivals as ballots are finalized.

In Mississippi, 43-year-old Democrat Scott Colom held a narrow lead over 67-year-old Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith as of Friday evening.

In the Alaska gubernatorial race, 37-year-old Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins ran distinctly ahead of all other rivals in the state.

Zaidane noted that voter priorities in this election cycle aligned with the theme of “change” championed by young candidates.

Zaidane remarked that this was precisely what voters were seeking, observing that this group of candidates, who grew up online, possessed the reflex to communicate consistently and interactively on platforms where news is consumed.

Emphasizing that the candidates rejected the notion of waiting their turn, Zaidane stated that campaigns were conducted with this mindset.

Mayer observed that although young voters are frequently viewed as a single-issue constituency, successful Democratic candidates focused on the economy and the lack of opportunity, offering tangible solutions that went beyond merely establishing relatability.

The stance of being unapologetic about their youth and refusing to wait their turn was evident throughout election campaigns.

“We need leaders who refuse to settle, refuse to wait our turn, or ask for permission, in order to fight for bold policies that will deliver real, tangible results,” Kiros told NPR in February.

The strong performance of young figures occurred during a period of ongoing debate over the advanced age of members of Congress.

During the 119th Congress, six lawmakers died, most of whom were beyond the normal retirement age.

In South Carolina, 62-year-old Republican Senator Darline Graham had been appointed to office following the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, who died of an aortic rupture.

Despite the endorsement of President Donald Trump and her family legacy, Graham lost the election to the 46-year-old Andrews.

With Trump standing as the oldest individual sworn in as US president, 84-year-old Republican Senator Mitch McConnell’s prolonged health-related absence from the Senate during the summer revived debates surrounding congressional term limits.

Mayer argued that the midterm results did not signal a wholesale rejection of senior politicians, but rather the embrace of a new energy and vision that connected strongly with young candidates.

Noting that the failure of the system to serve young people generated severe burnout, Mayer remarked that the developments regarding candidate age in the 2024 elections created room for young contenders to compete on general ground rather than strictly on age.

Although the mission of his organization is to build youth political power, Mayer expressed his belief that governments function best with a balance of young and old, declining to join calls for the total exclusion of senior politicians.

“I don’t think I can say that gerontocracy is over, because we need older people who know how things work and have been doing this for a long time. However, I believe the era of total dominance by older people has come to an end because the world has changed so much,” Mayer said.

Even though the elections yielded favorable outcomes for young Democratic candidates, both Mayer and Zaidane pointed out that Gen Z voters have not coalesced around a single party.

Zaidane noted that Generation Z continues to shape its political identity and that support remains contingent on tangible results.

Recalling that young voters shifted to the right two years ago, Zaidane emphasized that over the next two years, leaders will be judged not on slogans but on housing, jobs, and living costs, adding that winning young people’s votes is not the same as earning their trust.