Record Number of Gen Z and Millennial Candidates Run for Congress, Many Withdraw Early

<p>Gen Z and millennials have launched a significant number of congressional campaigns, but approximately 70% were no longer in the race by early September, according to a report from the Future Caucus, a nonpartisan nonprofit.</p><p>The report indicates that this election cycle saw a record number of candidates from these two generations, with 3,918 candidates filing for Congress, a 31% increase from 2024. Of the candidates with known or estimated ages, 36.4% were millennials or Gen Z, up from 23.4% in 2024. The report counts all who filed but does not specify how many were first-time candidates.</p><p>Many young candidates face challenges in advancing due to a lack of political experience. Only 1.7% of Gen Z candidates and 9% of millennials have previously served in a state legislature. Among congressional challengers with age data, nearly 40% of those with state legislative experience reached the general election stage, compared to 26.2% without such experience.</p><p>By the report's September cutoff, only 21.2% of Gen Z congressional candidates remained in the race, while 30.2% of millennials, 41.1% of Gen X, and 44.5% of Baby Boomers were still competing. Nearly 33% of Gen Z candidates did not qualify for a primary ballot, compared to 18.3% of millennials and 9.4% of Gen X candidates. Incumbents averaged 59 years old, nearly nine years older than their challengers.</p><p>Future Caucus President and CEO Layla Zaidane noted that young candidates are eager to address issues themselves, stating, "They're done waiting for somebody else to fix the problems." Zaidane highlighted that Gen Z candidates running outside the two major parties face significant challenges, including fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and gaining name recognition without party support.</p><p>Women represent only 17.1% of Gen Z congressional candidates, compared to 26.6% of millennials and 30.7% of Gen X. Younger men withdrew or failed to qualify for the primary ballot at higher rates than women in their generations. The report also noted that younger candidates tend to be predominantly Democrats, despite efforts by the Republican Party to attract young voters.</p><p>However, there have been some successes among young candidates. In Colorado, 29-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in the primary for a heavily Democratic Denver seat. In Iowa, 29-year-old Republican Joe Mitchell, a former state lawmaker, secured his party's nomination for an open House seat.</p>