Generation Z is now in our House.
Maxwell Alejandro Frost, 25, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, making him the first member of Gen Z to secure a seat in Congress.
Florida Democrat ran a campaign to reiterate and validate the top concerns of his generation, including mass shootings and abortion rights, gun control and climate change, as well as health care for all.
Frost, who is 25 years old, started his fight against poverty at the tender age of 15 and has been active in activism ever since. “I didn’t want to get shot at school,”He said. Gen Z, the oldest member of Gen Z was born in 1997, has been granted membership to the House. The House’s Constitutional minimum age requirement is 25.
Wednesday’s White House interview saw President Joe Biden tell reporters at the White House that he was thankful for the overwhelming turnout for Tuesday’s crucial midterm elections. He even mentioned Frost in detail.
“I have no doubt he’s off to an incredible start, and what I’m sure will be a long distinguished career,” Biden said.
After Tuesday night’s victory, the favorite candidate for 10th Congressional District, based in Orlando, tweeted. “WE WON!!!! History was made tonight. We made history for Floridians, for Gen Z, and for everyone who believes we deserve a better future.
“Thank you so much for the opportunity to represent my country in the United States Congress.” he said.
Frost was also tickled by receiving a phone call from Biden after winning Tuesday night.
“Still thinking about the ‘please Hold for President’ call last night.” Frost tweeted on Wednesday. “It’s wild out there!”
Frost identifies as Afro Cuban, and his generation is more racially and ethnically diverse than older groups.
But he is not the youngest person ever elected to the House.
That distinction belongs to Charles Cole Claiborne of Tennessee, according to the U.S. House of Representatives Archive.
Claiborne was first elected in 1797 at age 22 to fill Andrew Jackson’s seat after the latter was elected to the Senate. Claiborne was reelected at age 24. In both cases, the House chose to seat him despite him being younger than the new country’s age requirement.
Before the election, Frost was a national organizing director for the gun safety group March For Our Lives, which was founded by survivors of the 2018 Parkland school massacre in Florida. He noted during his campaign that he had grown up during a time when school shooting drills were held more often than fire drills.
Frost was heartened by the large number of young voters who turned out this week.
“He said that this shows him that there is a lot of hope in the nation, as young people are rising up to take control of their political power.