Republicans from Generation Z could enter Congress for the first time following Tuesday's election, with a handful of candidates seeking House seats as the party faces a difficult national environment. Among them is Joe Mitchell, 29, whose campaign in northeastern Iowa's 2nd Congressional District is one of the few races considered a tossup, as voters grow dissatisfied with President Trump and Democrats see a stronger chance of taking control of Congress.
Mitchell, a former state senator and real estate developer endorsed by Trump, says voters across party lines welcome younger leadership. His proposals include limiting House members to six terms and prohibiting congressional stock trading. He also says he has turned down corporate PAC contributions. He presents those positions as an effort to combat corruption, reflecting frustration among young Americans who report economic anxiety and distrust of institutions.
The House currently has only one Gen Z member, Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost, 29. Two more candidates from that generation are expected to win Tuesday: Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old democratic socialist running in Colorado's reliably Democratic 1st District, and Michael Alfonso, 26, competing in Wisconsin's heavily Republican 7th District.
Alfonso, a political newcomer with Trump's endorsement, is married to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's daughter. Duffy represented the Wisconsin district from 2011 to 2019. A victory would make Alfonso the first member of Congress born in the 2000s. In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, he described his age as his "greatest advantage" and emphasized hard work, faith and family as values he shares with district residents.
Such candidacies remain unusual. The oldest members of Gen Z turn 30 next year, and House members must be at least 25. According to Future Caucus, a nonpartisan organization supporting young elected officials, Gen Z accounted for just 4% of congressional candidates this cycle and was the generation least likely to advance beyond a primary. Most Gen Z candidates ran as Democrats, fewer than a third filed as Republicans, and another 16% chose a third party or neither major party.
Conservative organizers are working to expand that pipeline. Run Gen Z, an organization Mitchell founded and initially led, announced endorsements in late October for more than 220 Gen Z and millennial conservatives nationwide. Executive director Adam Pennings says developing young leaders will help prepare successors as longer-serving officeholders retire.
Its endorsed congressional candidates include Mitchell, Alfonso and Riley Owen, a 28-year-old Republican pursuing Utah's newly redrawn 1st District, which strongly favors Democrats. Owen acknowledges the political challenge but argues that voters want fresh leadership and ideas. He sees opportunities for conservatives if they can offer solutions that help people build businesses, start families and regain trust in government.
Mitchell describes the Republican Party's future as "America First," saying younger candidates will increasingly judge policies by how they benefit Americans. He believes Vice President JD Vance and other Trump cabinet members share that approach. But conservatives disagree over what the phrase means, particularly amid divisions over the U.S. war with Iran.
The conflict has complicated competitive Republican campaigns as Democrats connect it to rising costs. Mitchell has not opposed the war and says Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon, while rejecting "endless wars." He maintains that Trump's agenda fits his understanding of America First, though he acknowledges that others can interpret the term differently.
