Almost 1 in 4 members will be in their first term next year. By Paul Kane and Emma Ruby | The Washington Sun The incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee hasn’t yet served four years on Capitol Hill. Republicans will have to choose next week between a first-term and a second-term lawmaker to run…
Congress is getting a lot younger: Gen Z members will triple. Here’s the breakdown as midterm election results roll in
Gen Z and millennial candidates have won about 38% of their races so far, according to Future Caucus. By Jennifer Mattson | Fast Company The Democrats’ playbook for the midterm elections was to cast a wide net, recruiting candidates that didn’t necessarily look and sound like traditional politicians—and oftentimes, Gen Zers and millennials were part…
Generation Z and young voters help redefine US politics after midterms
Melat Kiros becomes the first Generation Z woman elected to Congress, embodying a new era of political representation. By Aljazeera Staff and AP | Alajazeera The outcome of the 2026 US midterm elections has marked a historic shift in American politics, with diverse candidates winning office and the first Generation Z woman elected to Congress.…
Getting on the Same Page: The Right-to-Read Movement in State Legislatures
By Harvey Solomon Nearly 12,000 books were banned in U.S. public schools in the 2025-26 school year, according to PEN America – the most since the organization began compiling figures five years ago. The toll encompassed more than 7,000 individual titles representing the work of some 4,000 authors, illustrators and translators. First on the list? Stephen…
Melat Kiros makes history as first woman from Gen Z elected to Congress
By Caitlin Yilek | CBS News Washington — Melat Kiros, who defeated Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado’s primary in July, was born in 1997, the same year DeGette began her decadeslong congressional career. On Tuesday night, the 29-year-old democratic socialist made history as the first Generation Z woman to be elected to Congress. Kiros…
In L.A., a Stark Generational Divide May Determine the Mayor’s Race
Young voters want affordability. Older ones want stability. That tension may be the biggest factor in the contest between Karen Bass, 73, the incumbent, and Nithya Raman, 45. By Shawn Hubler and Jill Cowan | The New York Times Saturday nights usually aren’t prime time for campaigning in Los Angeles elections. Still, there was Nithya…
How Gen Z Republicans running for Congress are thinking about the future of the party
By Elena Moore | NPR In northeast Iowa, 29-year-old Joe Mitchell is vying to represent the state’s second congressional 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. Mitchell has the president’s endorsement,…
Why Gen Z is Running for Congress in 2026
By Alisa Shodiyev Kaff | The New York Times More than 100 candidates under the age of 29 filed to run for Congress this election cycle. The New York Times spoke to five of these Gen Z candidates and asked them a series of questions to understand their qualifications and positions on key issues.
Generational change in Congress is coming, but it won’t fix everything
By Layla Zaidane, Opinion Contributor | The Hill Turnover is coming to Washington. In less than two weeks, voters will elect what is expected to be one of the largest freshman classes of the century. It could also be one of the youngest. For the first time, more than one-third of the candidates who filed…
Pennsylvania Invests in New Tools to Deter and Solve Violent Crimes
By Maya Mukherjee and Harvey Solomon For families of homicide victims, an unsolved case can mean years—or even decades—of unrelenting anguish but no answers. “Ten long years I’ve been on this journey seeking justice, closure at least,” said Yullio Robbins, whose 28-year-old son James Walke III was gunned down in broad daylight in Philadelphia’s Germantown…