American Gen Z political newcomers enter Washington, Congress or usher in new blood?

The Paper's reporter Su Yangfan

Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who is running for a place in the House of Representatives in Florida's tenth district, has just turned 25 this year, and considering that the district he is running for is an open, firm deep blue constituency, polls show that Frost has an absolute advantage over Democratic candidates, and he is very likely to become the first Congressman of Generation Z in the United States just after reaching the minimum age requirement for Representatives.

Maxwell Frost, Washington Post image

Millennials have been the youngest political players in the U.S. political ecosystem for the past 16 years, and during the 2022 midterm elections, Generation Z's young people began to show their political views and personal style. According to a note from the Pew Research Center, Gen Z points out that people born between 1997 and 2012, as people born in 1997 gradually reach the minimum age of service in the U.S. House of Representatives, 25 years old, it is foreseeable that more and more young blood will enter U.S. politics in the future.

How will these Gen Z march into Washington? Will their dynamic and slightly radical attitudes in the eyes of their supporters and those of their opponents be a boost or a hindrance to Gen Z political actors? In the face of today's severely polarized political ecology in the United States, how will Gen Z set and advance their agendas? Several young political participants handed over their answer sheets.

Earn a living by driving a ride-hailing car

In Maxwell Alejandro Frost's childhood memories, there are a few politically related episodes that he will never forget. "When I was in elementary school, I turned on the TV and saw a group of people sleeping outside wall Street discussing a concept called 'wealth inequality.'" Frost recalled.

Another memory from his upbringing touched him even more: "[At the time] there was a child named Trayvon Martin who was murdered because of his black identity, and I lived just 30 minutes from his house. He looked a lot like me, wearing a hoodie, and I remember it caused a wave of anger. Frost told NPR.

Frost argues that their generation grew up during turbulent times in American history, and that Gen Z has a new way of dealing with political affairs. "Our generation was born and grew up with a lot of trauma and turmoil, and people are frustrated with the state of life. Because of this, we naturally think differently. ”

In his observations at politics news site Politico, Frost looks no different from other Gen Z — he wears sweatshirts, khaki pants and colorful sneakers with short curly hair and occasionally mentions TikTok in conversation — a short-form video app popular among young Americans.

But it's clear that he doesn't fit the imagination of a typical congressional candidate. Frost was an African-Cuban immigrant, and in Florida and throughout the United States, a politician who was both black and Latino was extremely rare. At the same time, Frost has yet to complete his college studies because he has prioritized his efforts on community-based organizations, including campaigns calling for abortion rights and gun control. Never held a public office and did not come from a political or business family with its own resources, Frost became a ride-hailing driver when he was not running for election, and his Kia car was a tool for his livelihood.

Frost, who grew up in a Cuban immigrant family, explained to Politico why he decided to run. In July 2021, Frost contacted his biological mother, who told him in that call that she had given birth to Frost at the most vulnerable time of her life — drugs, crime and poverty that had pushed her into the darkest abyss of her life. In Frost's view, these are systemic problems that urgently need solutions in real life. "I hung up the phone and announced, 'I need to run for Congress.'" He said.

"It's not one politician or one leader who wants to save us all, it's how we're going to change Florida." "And when I say 'change Florida,' I don't mean to flip a red state into a blue state, but to create a society where Your success is my success and my success is your success." ”

It was such a young man with little political superiority but an aura of his own that attracted an entire office of legislators, volunteers, and staff who embraced Frost's vision of working around the clock before the primary day to make sure he could win the primary in the deep blue district of Florida's tenth constituency. Once victorious within the Democratic Party, Frost's subsequent victory over the Republican candidate in the final election and his successful election to the House of Representatives were almost a foregone conclusion.

A new poll on the district, conducted by Data for Progress, a U.S.-based nonprofit that focuses on progressive policy and polls, shows Frost will receive 34 percent of the vote and that he could outperform his Democratic primary rivals — incumbent State Sen. Randolph Bracy and former Congressman Alan Grayson — who polls show they won 18 percent and 14 percent, respectively. votes.

It is worth noting that in recent years, Florida has gradually changed from a swing state to a Republican stronghold, and the frequent guests of us headlines - former US President Trump and Florida Governor DeSantis are influential politicians in the Republican Party. But because of this, Frost believes Florida is the right place for him to blaze the trail for a new generation of politicians.

"I quit my job to do this (campaign) and drive a ride-hailing car to pay my bills. Honestly, it's a sacrifice. "But the reason I'm doing this is that I can't imagine myself looking at it coldly and not solving the problems we're having right now." ”

Shout out to Gen Z voters

In the St. Louis suburbs, Ray Reed, 25, also tried to break with the traditional political model. An event organizer and former Democratic campaign worker, he will take on Republican Congressman Ann Wagner in Missouri's Second District. Reed disagrees with voices that young people should start with local politics.

"There will always be cynical voices saying, 'Oh, he's too young, he's too inexperienced, and if he's spent a few terms in the area, maybe he can run for Congress.'" But in fact, these are all political rhetoric – letting young people enter their (old politicians') systems, learn their rules of the game, and pass their standards before they have a chance to run for higher office. Reid said bluntly.

Reed and Frost are both progressives who work to curb gun violence, push for the Green New Deal and call for the cancellation of student debt. After the Supreme Court formally announced its overturn of Roe v. Wade, both expressed outrage at the ruling and shared photos and videos of their participation in the protest on social media.

Reed once shouted to Gen Z voters about the overthrow of Roy v. Wade, "We want to march, organize events, go to the polls, and our lives are closely related to it." ”

For Frost, the history created by Generation Z members who were the first to enter Congress is more symbolic. "Yes, we (Gen Z) marched, we participated in mutual aid, we participated in social platforms, and now we are running for office because we believe we are ready to go into the political space to speak up for our communities, and we have the ability to do that and we should allow young people to do that." He said.

Gen Z in the Republican ranks

The enthusiasm from Gen Z isn't just in Democratic candidates, with New Hampshire's First District Republican candidate, Karoline Leavitt, turning 25 in August and meeting the requirements for a position in Congress next January.

"We live in a very one-sided culture." Levitt said, "How do we break this pattern? By electing young people to public office, these voters can resonate with each other and create a platform on the national stage to show voters ideas, policies and values that they simply cannot hear elsewhere. ”

Levitt is an experienced Republican worker who served as assistant press secretary in the Trump administration. While the early voting trends of Generation Z were objectively more liberal, Levitt hopes her campaign will spark enthusiasm among young conservatives and steer voters away from progressive ideas that are too extreme in her perception.

Kristin Soltis Anderson, a conservative pollster and strategic analyst for millennials, said Gen Z's determination to stick to their values shows that they are markedly different from millennials who came to Congress during Oba's President Ma tenure.

"Their political framework has shifted from 'I will make a difference by being a person looking for opportunities for cross-party collaboration' to 'I will undermine the institutions and systems that allow people from the other party to gain the upper hand."' Anderson said.

However, compared with Republicans, Democrats have a slightly weaker support for younger members. "Surprisingly, while Democrats are more vocal among young voters, they don't seem to be putting much effort into promoting young candidates." Anderson said.

Unlike Democrats, Republicans have begun promoting younger members. In 2021, Republican Stefanik was promoted to house republican meeting chairman, reducing the average age of Republican leadership to 55. While the average age of the Democratic leadership is 71, millennial politicians are still excluded from the Democratic leadership.

In this regard, Anderson believes that at present, neither side has a real advantage in the rejuvenation of politicians. "I don't think either side has a significant advantage at the moment in spreading the voice of Gen Z in the elected office, despite the fact that Democrats do have a predominance among young voters." She added.

Responsible editor: Hu Zhenqing Photo editor: Zhu Weihui

Proofreader: Ding Xiao