Age in the 2025 North Carolina General Assembly
The State of North Carolina held its elections for a new North Carolina House of Representatives and North Carolina State Senate on November 4th 2024. In January 2025 the currently active 2025 legislative session of the North Carolina General Assembly. Among the members elected 20 were aged 35 or younger on election day in 2024. Below is a map of these representatives within both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly.
North Carolina Demographic Background in the 2024 Election
Preliminary estimates from CIRCLE at Tufts University indicate that 42% of young people aged 18–29 voted in the 2024 election, with turnout surpassing 50% in key battleground states. Nearly 50 million young citizens were eligible to vote nationwide, including over 8 million who turned 18 since the 2022 midterms.
According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers in 2020 to become the largest generation in the U.S., making up 31% of the population, followed closely by Boomers at 30.9%. Generation X accounts for 28%, while the Silent Generation makes up just 9.9%. In North Carolina, young voters played an outsized role in shaping both state and national outcomes.
North Carolina in the presidential election was one of the critical seven battleground states. According to (YESI) the presidential contest in North Carolina was ranked 9th most impacted by youth political participation.
The North Carolina House of Representatives 2025 Legislative Session
Below is information covering age dynamics in the recently elected members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
- The average age among North Carolina House members was 57.23 years
- The youngest Representative, Wyatt Walter Gable, was born in 2002
- The oldest Representative Frank Iler Jr., was born in 1942
- 8 Representatives are Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger as of Election Day 2024
Generational Breakdown
Within the North Carolina House of Representatives, most representatives come from the Millennial, Generation X, or the Baby Boomer generation. Notably, several members of the current North Carolina House of Representatives belong to Generation Z. Scroll below to view the generations represented in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Partisanship in the North Carolina House of Representatives
The chart below further breaks down the current partisan makeup of the 2025 North Carolina House of Representatives. Each dot represents a single member, colored by both party affiliation and whether the legislator qualifies as a Young Elected Leader (YEL)—defined as age 35 or younger at the time of the election. This format provides a visual snapshot of generational and partisan distribution within the chamber, highlighting how younger legislators are positioned across party lines.
Partisan differences in the North Carolina House extend beyond ideology to include notable generational contrasts. As shown in the visual below, Republican legislators have a higher average age than their Democratic counterparts—59.43 years compared to 54.04 years—a gap of 5.39 years. These disparities may reflect broader patterns in political recruitment, generational turnover, and the types of candidates emerging in recent election cycles.
Young Elected Representatives – North Carolina House of Representatives
Following the 2024 State Legislative Elections in North Carolina, eight members aged 35 or under were elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. Below are all nine members, ordered from youngest to oldest, along with information about their local districts and party affiliations.
Young Elected Representatives — North Carolina House of Representatives (Age ≤ 35)
| Name | District | Birth Year (Age) | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Wyatt Gable (R) | District 14 —
Jacksonville, NC |
2002 (Age 22) | 2024 |
 |
Jordan Lopez (D) | District 112 —
Charlotte, NC |
1998 (Age 26) | 2024 |
 |
Neal Pittman (D) | District 24 —
Wilson, NC |
1996 (Age 28) | 2022 |
 |
Jake Johnson (R) | District 113 —
Saluda, NC |
1994 (Age 30) | 2018 |
 |
Charles Rupp Smith (D) | District 44 —
Fayetteville, NC |
1992 (Age 32) | 2024 |
 |
Cody Lee Huneycutt (R) | District 67 —
Stanly County, NC |
1991 (Age 33) | 2020 |
 |
Timothy Worth Longest (D) | District 34 —
Raleigh, NC |
1991 (Age 33) | 2022 |
 |
Kyle Ethan Hall (R) | District 91 —
King, NC |
1990 (Age 34) | 2015 |
Photos courtesy of the North Carolina House Member Roster.
Gender in the North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives reflects a range of age and gender dynamics that help shape the composition of the state’s legislative body. In North Carolina, men make up a larger share of the chamber than women. Across all members, 70.83% are men, while men make up 29.17%. For female representatives, the average age was 57.58 at the time of the election, and for men, it was 57.09. Of the 8 Young Elected Leaders, all eight are men.
When examining both gender and party affiliation, additional age differences emerge within the North Carolina House of Representatives. Republican men and women have a higher average age when compared to Democrats. These patterns show that age representation in the North Carolina House of Representatives varies by both gender and partisan alignment, highlighting differing pathways to political office across demographic groups.
Race and Ethnicity in the North Carolina House of Representatives
The racial and ethnic composition of the North Carolina House of Representatives varies across generations. In 2024, younger cohorts exhibit greater diversity, although the chamber as a whole remains predominantly White. The table below shows the distribution of each generation.
Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the North Carolina House of Representatives
| Ethnicity | Generation Z 1997–2012 |
Millennial Generation 1981–1996 |
Generation X 1965–1980 |
Boomer Generation 1946–1964 |
Silent Generation 1928–1945 |
Full Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White / Caucasian | 1 (50%) | 14 (63.64%) | 29 (72.50%) | 39 (81.25%) | 6 (75%) | 89 (74.17%) |
| Black / African American | 0 (0%) | 6 (27.27%) | 9 (22.50%) | 9 (18.75%) | 2 (25%) | 26 (21.67%) |
| Asian / Pacific American | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (5%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (1.67%) |
| Hispanic / Latino | 0 (0%) | 1 (4.55%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.83%) |
| Indian / Native American | 0 (0%) | 1 (4.55%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.83%) |
| Two or More Ethnicities | 1 (50%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.83%) |
| Total (Percent of Chamber) | 2 (1.67%) | 22 (18.33%) | 40 (33.33%) | 48 (40%) | 8 (6.67%) | 120 (100%) |
The full North Carolina House of Representatives is comprised of 120 seats.
The North Carolina Senate
Below is information covering age dynamics in the recently elected North Carolina Senate
- The average age of North Carolina State Senate members is 56.35 years
- The youngest Senator is Caleb Theodros, born in 1994
- The oldest Senator is Joyce Davis Waddell, born in 1944
- 4 members of the North Carolina State Senate are Young Elected Leaders, aged 35 or younger as of Election Day 2024
Young Elected Senators in the North Carolina State Senate
Following the 2024 State Legislative Elections in North Carolina, three members aged 35 or under were elected to (and currently serve in) the North Carolina State Senate.
Young Elected Representatives — North Carolina Senate (Age ≤ 35)
| Name | District | Birth Year (Age) | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Caleb Theodros (D) | District 41 —
Charlotte, NC |
1994 (Age 30) | 2024 |
 |
David Wayne Craven Jr. (R) | District 29 —
Asheboro, NC |
1990 (Age 34) | 2020 |
 |
DeAndrea Salvador (D) | District 39 —
Charlotte, NC |
1990 (Age 34) | 2020 |
 |
Sophia Chitlik (D) | District 22 —
Durham, NC |
1989 (Age 35) | 2024 |
Photos courtesy of the North Carolina Senate Member Roster.
Partisanship in the North Carolina State Senate
In the North Carolina State Senate, 30 senators belong to the Republican Party, 20 senators are Democrats. The mean age of Republican state senators after the 2024 election was 58.21, while the mean age of Democratic state senators was 53.65. Each generation had a different partisan makeup. Below is the breakdown of party composition for each generation within the North Carolina State Senate.
Gender in the North Carolina Senate
The generational makeup of the North Carolina Senate reveals notable gender dynamics. Overall, men are overrepresented across all age groups, especially among older generations. These patterns indicate that gender representation varies across generations, with women being represented in every generational cohort.
Race and Ethnicity in the North Carolina Senate
The racial and ethnic composition of the North Carolina Senate shows generational variation. The table below presents the distribution by generation.
Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the North Carolina Senate
| Ethnicity | Millennial Generation 1981–1996 |
Generation X 1965–1980 |
Boomer Generation 1946–1964 |
Silent Generation 1928–1945 |
Full Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White / Caucasian | 4 (50%) | 18 (85.71%) | 14 (73.68%) | 0 (0%) | 36 (73.47%) |
| Black / African American | 3 (37.5%) | 2 (9.52%) | 4 (21.05%) | 1 (100%) | 10 (20.41%) |
| Asian / Pacific American | 1 (12.5%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (2.04%) |
| Other | 0 (0%) | 1 (4.76%) | 1 (5.26%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (4.08%) |
| Total (Percent of Chamber) | 8 (16.33%) | 21 (42.86%) | 19 (38.78%) | 1 (2.04%) | *49 (100%) |
The full North Carolina State Senate is comprised of 50 seats. Age is missing for one member.
Notes
The Young Elected Leaders Project applies the generational categorization of the Pew Research Center:
- Silent Generation: 1928 – 1945
- Baby Boomer Generation: 1946 – 1964
- Generation X: 1965 – 1980
- Millennial Generation: 1981 – 1996
- Generation Z: 1997 – 2012
This analysis is based on data from the most recent state legislative election in North Carolina which took place on November 5th 2024.
Citation Guideline
In referencing the Young Elected Leaders Project in publication please use the following language: “The Young Elected Leaders Project is housed at the Center for Youth Political Participation at The Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University – New Brunswick.”
Bibliographic Citation For this document
Author: Young Elected Leaders Project
Corresponding Authors: George D. Quinn
Year: 2024
Title: Age in the 2025 North Carolina State Legislature