It’s Crazy That the GOP Nominated “Two 25-Year Olds” in House Races

• Rep. Dan Crenshaw criticized some of the GOP candidates who were selected to run for office in 2022.
• “We elected two 25 year-olds as our nominees. Crenshaw said that it was “batshit crazy”.
• GOP voters nominated Karoline Leevitt, 25, as well as Bo Hines (27) in two key House Districts. Both lost.

The 2022 midterm elections saw Gen Z and younger Millennial voters eager to participate. flexThey overwhelmingly pushed for issues including college affordability, reproductive right, and climate issues.

Many young Americans decided to run for federal office, including Democratic Rep.-elect. Maxwell Alejandro FrostA Floridian of 25 years who was elected the first member from Gen Z to Congress last month.

However, in a recent Politico interviewTexas GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw stated that his party committed an error in nominating younger candidates to two of the most competitive House district in the country.

“We lost races that we easily should have won. Two 25-year-olds were elected our nominees. It’s crazy,” the 38 year-old congressman said to the publication about two young Republicans who won primaries to be their party’s nominees.

He said, “I’m sure that they’re nice people but they only have two years of work experience.” People are like, “No, we’re no longer electing that” in general elections.

New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District is represented by Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeatedKaroline Leavitt, a former assistant press secretary to the Trump White House, is 25 years old.

In North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District, state Senator Wiley Nickel edged outBo Hines, a Republican 27-year old, is up four points (52%-48%).

Crenshaw noted the ages of the candidates while remarking about some losses suffered by the party in a year when they had expected more robust congressional gains. However, there is not clear evidence that Hines and Leavitt were defeated in their respective contests due to their youth.

With Congress largely populated by lawmakers in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, and with leaders like President Joe Biden and departing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California in their 80s, there has been a pent-up desire for many young Americans to take a seat at the table in crafting public policy — but they are often discouraged by a lack of money or lack of support from political parties.

Insider has been a success this year examinedThe phenomenon of an American Gerontocracy in “Red, White, and Gray”, which was a series that focuses on the United States. includedAn article about young candidates who tried to run for office, but ran into institutional hurdles during their campaigns.

Republicans were able to flip the House this year, but their slim majority only raises the stakes for the 2024 presidential election — when Gen Z voters will continue to become a more influential part of the electorate.