Where are the Gen Z candidates? Take a look at your local ballot
Voter concerns about the age and mental acuity of U.S. politicians are top of mind as the leading presidential candidates are making history—for being the oldest. But a new generation is emerging and starting their political careers, usually beginning at the local level.
Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is increasingly throwing their hats in the ring as they reach the minimum age requirements to run for seats. As of now, only one Gen Z politician serves in Congress. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Florida, became the first member of his generation to be elected to Congress in 2022 at just 25 years old.
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Despite the fact that Gen Z candidates aren't in the mix for Congress this November, grassroots campaigns across the country are making headlines. Here are some of them.
More: Meet the new faces of politics: Here's why more Gen Z candidates are running for office
Ashwin Ramaswami, 24
Ashwin Ramaswami is making history as the first Indian American Gen Z candidate to run for a state Senate seat.
The 24-year-old Democrat seeks to flip Georgia Senate District 48 and outraised Republican incumbent Rep. Shawn Still in the last filing period.
Ramaswami is focusing his campaign on protecting election integrity after his boss at a cybersecurity agency was fired in 2020 for not supporting former President Donald Trump's fraud claims. Still, one of 17 indicted along with Trump in the 2020 Georgia election interference case.
More: Young people's declining perception of the president: What Trump taught Gen Z
Haley Creighton, 24
Haley Creighton is bringing light to protecting abortion access and free college during her run for Arizona Senate.
The progressive is running in the red 7th district to unseat her current state senator and controversial far-right politician, Sen. Wendy Rogers. Rogers, 68, is an Oath Keeper who has faced accusations of antisemitism and promoted election fraud and QAnon conspiracy theories.
Gabriel Sanchez, 27
Restaurant server and member of Democratic Socialists of America Gabriel Sanchez shook up metro Atlanta last month when he beat out incumbent Georgia State Rep. Teri Anulewicz by almost ten percentage points in the district's Democratic primary.
The 27-year-old son of Colombia immigrant's platform focuses on affordable housing, healthcare, and labor.
The solidly blue district is located in the northwestern Atlanta metro area.
— Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com, on X @woodyreports, or on Threads @samjowoody
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Gen Z candidates are running local in 2024.
