Young Democrats Step Up To Lead

The average age of a member of Congress is 58. The median age of a U.S. senator is 65. And while Gen X (those born between 1965 and 1980) has most seats in the House of Representatives, the Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1946-1964) still make up a solid majority of the Senate.  

Overall, the average age of Congress is about twenty years older than the average American. But this year, a group of younger, “Gen Z” Democrats–born between 1997 and 2012–are stepping up to challenge older Democrat incumbents for their seats. (An incumbent is an elected official who is already in office.) This week, Election Central examines these future leaders, why they’re running for political office, and the challenges they face. 

Why the Age Gap? 

So why do the leaders of the federal government tend to be older? There are several reasons. First, the average age of Americans is also increasing. And while there is no maximum age to run for office, there is an age “floor.” The Constitution requires that a person be at least 25 years old to run for the House of Representatives, and at least 30 years old to run for the U.S. Senate. So it makes sense that our representatives tend to skew older as well.  

There are other, practical reasons too. Running for office requires time and money–two things that younger Americans don’t have a lot of. Older generations have more of both; plus, they’ve had a lifetime to build a network of connections. They have more donors and better name recognition. Some states and organizations have proposed remedies to these barriers. These remedies include enforcing a maximum age for representatives or allowing candidates to pay themselves a stipend from their campaign fund, but so far none of these solutions have taken hold. 

Growing Frustration 

The age gap in representation causes problems for some citizens. Many people want to feel like their interests and concerns are being adequately represented by candidates who understand firsthand what their lives are like. Currently, many Democrats, especially younger Democrats, are frustrated by how Democratic Party members are responding to the Trump administration. They worry that incumbent Democrats are not doing enough to resist President Trump’s policies and actions. That’s why several younger Democrats are campaigning to challenge these older incumbents in traditionally blue districts. 

Elijah Manley is one of these younger Democrats. He is a 26-year-old substitute teacher from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While he’s never held elected office before, he has spent many years heavily involved in political organizing. He is challenging incumbent Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for Florida’s 20^th District and is already significantly beating his opponent in fundraising.  

Saikat Chakrabarti is another example. He helped manage New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s first campaign–when Ocasio-Cortez was also a young challenger facing down an incumbent. Now, Chakrabarti is challenging former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco. And Kat Abughazaleh is running against Democrat Jan Schakowsky in Illinois’ 9^th District, which includes Chicago. With over half a million social media followers, Abughazaleh’s campaign has already generated a lot of online attention. Like Manley, she is already raising more than Schakowsky in campaign donations. 

While some Democrats are supportive of these attempts to bring new people into leadership, others worry that challenging proven Democrats can lead to division and infighting within the party. 

Beating the Odds? 

When a candidate decides to challenge an incumbent, they face an uphill battle. In 2024, for example, 96 percent of incumbents won their race for reelection in the House of Representatives. Incumbent candidates typically have the advantages of greater name recognition, and larger amounts of funds to spend on campaigning expenses. 

But younger Democrats like Chakrabarti and Manley feel that this moment is right for a change. Democrats are angry at Trump’s presidential agenda, and they want the party to act. Are enough Democrats willing to take a risk on a younger, untested candidate, rather than reelecting the same politicians to another term? According to a March 2025 poll conducted by NBC News, the Democratic Party’s approval rating has reached an all-time low with registered voters. Two-thirds of polled Democrats say that they are unhappy with party leaders’ attempts to compromise with the president and would rather see Democrats fighting back instead. 

Young challengers will also get an extra boost of financial support from the organization Leaders We Deserve. This organization focuses on electing younger Democrats to state and local office. The group is headed by David Hogg, the 25-year-old gun violence advocate who also serves as a vice chair at the Democratic National Committee. Leaders We Deserve has announced that they will be donating $20 million dollars to electing younger Democrats in next year’s midterm elections. 

Share What You Know Choose one of the young Democratic challengers discussed in this article. Based on the issues and concerns you’ve just read about, create a campaign poster for that candidate.