How Gen Z Republicans running for Congress are thinking about the future of the party
In northeast Iowa, 29-year-old Joe Mitchell is vying to represent the state's second congressional district.
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Mitchell → run → district
It's a competitive race, one of just a handful considered to be a tossup, as voters sour on President Trump and Democrats see control of Congress as increasingly in reach.
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voters → consider → reach
Mitchell has the president's endorsement, and if he's successful, he would head to Washington D.C. next year as part of a new cohort: the first-ever class of Gen Z Republicans in Congress.
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he → have → Congress
One is running in a reliably red district.
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One → run → district
The rest are longshots, vying for what's seen as safe blue seats.
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what → vie → seats
While their numbers may be small, Mitchell says the idea of a new generation of leaders in Washington is something that voters have been responding to on the campaign trail.
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voters → say → trail
"I think people are looking for hope, regardless of what party they're in," he said.
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he → think → party
"They want to see young people get involved, and I hear that everywhere we go."
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we → want → that
The former state senator and real estate developer says his platform can speak to Iowans on both sides of the aisle.
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platform → say → aisle
He's calling for term limits in the House, with a maximum of six terms, as well as a ban on congressional stock trading.
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He → call → trading
He says he has also rejected campaign donations from corporate PACs.
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he → say → PACs
It's all part of an "anti-corruption platform," a focus he says is uniquely rooted in his generation, as Americans under 30 report high levels of concern for their economic wellbeing and distrust of institutions.
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Americans → say → institutions
"I just think that young people — on both sides of the aisle or no party affiliates — are frustrated with the system," he said.
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he → think → system
However, two additional candidates are expected to win on Tuesday.
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candidates → expect → Tuesday
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros, 29, is favored to win in Colorado's 1st district, a reliably blue seat.
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Kiros → favor → district
Republican Michael Alfonso, 26, is expected to carry Wisconsin's 7th district, a heavily Republican seat.
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Alfonso → expect → district
Alfonso, a political newcomer endorsed by Trump, is married to the daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who previously held the seat from 2011 until 2019.
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who → endorse → 2019
If elected, he would be the first person born in the 2000s to serve in Congress.
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he → elect → Congress
In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio earlier this month, Alfonso called his age his "greatest advantage."
"I have the same values of everyone here in the 7th [district,]" said Alfonso.
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Alfonso → call → district
But running and winning as a candidate in their 20s remains a rarity in politics.
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running → run → politics
With the oldest Gen Zers turning 30 next year, it's a generation that's only just starting to become eligible to serve in the House, which has an age minimum of 25.
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which → turn → 25
Just 4% of congressional candidates nationwide this cycle were part of Gen Z, which was the least likely of any generation to make it past the primary, according to a report from Future Caucus, a nonpartisan organization supporting young people in elected office.
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which → make → office
The rare Gen-Z GOP candidate
Plus, while running for Congress as a young person remains rare, doing so as a young Republican is even less common.
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doing → run → Republican
Future Caucus data reveals that a majority of Gen Z candidates who ran for Congress this year ran as Democrats, while under a third filed as Republicans.
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third → reveal → Republicans
Another 16% did not associate with either party or selected a third party.
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% → associate → party
While young Republicans garnered less national media attention, compared to the wave of largely unsuccessful young progressives who threw their hat into the ring during the Democratic primary, conservative organizers say they're working to build their bench at the local, state and federal level.
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they → garner → level
Adam Pennings is the executive director of Run Gen Z, an organization that helps young conservatives running for office, which was initially founded and run by Mitchell.
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which → help → Mitchell
"Young people need a seat at the table.
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people → need → table
Does that mean they need to be the only seat of the table?
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they → mean → table
No," said Pennings.
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Pennings → say → ?
"We need to be building up young people who are ready to lead in the future when some of these more, you know, long-term serving people retire."
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you → need → people
In late October, his organization announced endorsements for more than 220 Gen Z and millennial conservatives running across the country.
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organization → announce → country
That included a slate of congressional hopefuls like Mitchell and Alfonso, as well as more longshot candidates, like Riley Owen, a 28-year-old Republican running to represent Utah's newly redrawn 1st congressional district, which heavily favors Democrats.
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which → include → Democrats
In an interview, Owen acknowledged that he is not naive to the political realities of his district, though he remains optimistic, contending that "people are hungry for a new solution, new faces, fresh ideas, and a grassroots campaign like the one we're running."
Having a voice in the debate over the GOP's future
But on the eve of what is expected to be a challenging election night for the GOP, young conservatives like Owen are also thinking about what kind of party they hope to see in the future.
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they → acknowledge → future
"People want to trust their government.
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People → want → government
People want to take risks and dream big and start a business, start a family, live the American dream," he added.
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he → want → dream
"They want all of those things.
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They → want → things
And if we can provide solutions, I think the conservative movement has a very bright future."
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movement → provide → future
Back in Iowa, Mitchell argues the future of the Republican Party is "an America First party."
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future → argue → Party
"It's just asking a number of questions that maybe we didn't ask before, like, 'how does this help the American people?'
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this → ask → people
…and 5 more, not listed.
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