Number of millennials running for Congress increased 266 percent in two years: survey
August 27, 2020
The Millennial Action Project, a nonpartisan group dedicated to activating millennial policymakers, tracked 703 millennial candidates running for Congress throughout this cycle, compared to just 264 the project tracked in 2018, according to the group’s report.
The number of millennials running for Congress increased 266 percent in the last two years, according to a recent report.
The Millennial Action Project, a nonpartisan group dedicated to activating millennial policymakers, tracked 703 millennial candidates running for Congress throughout this cycle, compared to just 264 the project tracked in 2018, according to the group’s report.
The recent report indicates a 266 percent increase in millennials running for Congress in 2020 compared to the number of candidates the project tracked running in the 2018 midterm election.
Among candidates running for Congress in November, the Millennial Action Project’s report found 236 candidates are under the age of 45, including 123 “true” millennials, defined as anyone born between 1979 and 1996. The group tracked 103 “true” millennials on November ballots in 2018.
The group said the figures from the report will be updated as more states finalized primary results, with a final tabulation of winners to be released after Nov. 3.
The Millennial Action Project found that more young candidates are running as Democrats than as Republicans in this year’s election. Of the 236 candidates under 45 the group tracked for the upcoming election, 141 are Democrats, 92 are Republicans, two are independents and two are Libertarians.
The group said 54 millennial Congressional candidates are incumbents, with 53 running for reelection in the House and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) running for reelection in the Senate.
The reported increase in millennials running for congressional seats comes as the age cohort and those born after them now make up a majority of the U.S. population, according to research from the Brookings Institution.
The research also found that millennials account for 27 percent of all eligible voters, and members of Generation Z, who are only starting to reach voting age, make up 20.3 percent of the population but only 10.1 percent of the electorate.
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