Age in the 2025 Wisconsin General Assembly
Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The State of Wisconsin held its elections for the Wisconsin State Assembly and Wisconsin State Senate on November 5, 2024. In January 2025, the Wisconsin State Legislature officially convened for its 107th session. Among the members elected, 16 legislators qualify as Young Elected Leaders, defined as those aged 35 or younger on Election Day 2024. Below is a map illustrating the presence of these young representatives and senators within the Wisconsin State Legislature.
Wisconsin 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%.
The Wisconsin House of Representatives 2025 Legislative Session
Below is information covering age dynamics in the recently elected members of the Wisconsin House of Representatives
- The average age among Wisconsin House members was 51.21 years
- The youngest Representative, Calvin T. Callahan, was born in 1999
- The oldest Representative, Jerry L. O’Connor, was born in 1953
- 14 Representatives are Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger as of Election Day 2024
Generational Breakdown
Within the Wisconsin House of Representatives, most representatives come from the Millennial, Generation X, or the Baby Boomer generations. Scroll below to view the generations represented in the Wisconsin House of Representatives.
Partisanship in the Wisconsin House of Representatives
The chart below provides a further breakdown of the current partisan composition of the 2025 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin House extend beyond ideology to include notable generational contrasts. As shown in the visual below, Democratic members have an average age of 48.22, while Republicans have a higher average age of 53.70. These disparities may reflect broader patterns in political recruitment, generational turnover, and the types of candidates emerging in recent election cycles. 
Young Elected Representatives – Wisconsin House of Representatives
Following the 2024 State Legislative Elections in Wisconsin, 14 members aged 35 or under were elected to the Wisconsin House of Representatives. Below are all 14 members, ordered from youngest to oldest, along with information about their local districts and party affiliations.
Young Elected Representatives — Wisconsin House of Representatives (Age ≤ 35)
| Name | District | Birth Year (Age on Election Day 2024) | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Calvin T. Callahan (R) | District 35 — Tomahawk, WI | 1999 (Age 25) | 2020 |
 |
Kalan Haywood (D) | District 16 — Milwaukee, WI | 1999 (Age 25) | 2018 |
 |
Darrin Madison (D) | District 10 — Milwaukee, WI | 1996 (Age 28) | 2022 |
 |
William Penterman (R) | District 38 — Columbus, WI | 1996 (Age 28) | 2021 |
 |
Angelito Tenorio (D) | District 14 — West Allis, WI | 1996 (Age 28) | 2024 |
 |
Nate L. Gustafson (R) | District 55 — Neenah, WI | 1995 (Age 29) | 2022 |
 |
Clinton M. Anderson (D) | District 45 — Beloit, WI | 1993 (Age 31) | 2022 |
 |
Christian Phelps (D) | District 93 — Eau Claire, WI | 1993 (Age 31) | 2024 |
 |
Ryan Spaude (D) | District 89 — Ashwaubanon, WI | 1993 (Age 31) | 2024 |
 |
Alex A. Dallman (R) | District 39 — Green Lake, WI | 1992 (Age 32) | 2020 |
 |
Alex R. Joers (D) | District 81 — Madison, WI | 1992 (Age 32) | 2022 |
 |
Chanz J. Green (R) | District 74 — Grand View, WI | 1991 (Age 33) | 2022 |
 |
Greta Neubauer (D) | District 66 — Racine, WI | 1991 (Age 33) | 2018 |
 |
Francesca Hong (D) | District 76 — Madison, WI | 1989 (Age 35) | 2020 |
Photos Courtesy of the Wisconsin House member roster
Gender in the Wisconsin House of Representatives
The Wisconsin House of Representatives reflects a range of age and gender dynamics that help shape the composition of the state’s legislative body. In Wisconsin, men make up a larger share of the chamber than women. Across all members, 65.66% are men, while women make up 34.34%. For female representatives, the average age at the time of the election was 53.15; for men, it was 50.2. Of the 14 Young Elected Leaders, 2 are female, and 12 are male.
When examining both gender and party affiliation, additional age differences emerge within the Wisconsin House of Representatives. Republican men and women have a higher average age when compared to Democrats. These patterns show that age representation in the Wisconsin House of Representatives varies by both gender and partisan alignment, highlighting differing pathways to political office across demographic groups.
Race and Ethnicity in the Wisconsin House of Representatives
The racial and ethnic composition of the Wisconsin 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.
Race and Ethnicity in the Wisconsin House of Representatives
| Ethnicity | Generation Z 1997–2012 |
Millennial Generation 1981–1996 |
Generation X 1965–1980 |
Boomer Generation 1946–1964 |
Full Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (2.5%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1.01%) |
| Asian/Pacific American | 0 (0%) | 1 (3.57%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (3.45%) | 2 (2.02%) |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0 (0%) | 1 (3.57%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1.01%) |
| Black/African American | 1 (50%) | 3 (10.71%) | 4 (10%) | 0 (0%) | 8 (8.08%) |
| Hispanic/Latino | 0 (0%) | 1 (3.57%) | 3 (7.5%) | 0 (0%) | 4 (4.04%) |
| White/Caucasian | 1 (50%) | 22 (78.57%) | 32 (80%) | 28 (96.55%) | 83 (83.84%) |
| Total | 2 (2.02%) | 28 (28.28%) | 40 (40.4%) | 29 (29.29%) | 99 (100%) |
The Wisconsin Senate
Below is information covering age dynamics in the recently elected Wisconsin Senate
- The average age of Wisconsin State Senate members is 53.65 years
- The youngest Senator is Dora E. Drake, born in 1993
- The oldest Senator is Robert W. Wirch, born in 1943
- Two members of the Wisconsin State Senate is a Young Elected Leader, aged 35 or younger as of Election Day 2024
Young Elected Senators in the Wisconsin State Senate
Following the 2024 State Legislative Elections in Wisconsin, one member aged 35 or under was elected to (and currently serves in) the Wisconsin State Senate.
Young Elected Senator — Wisconsin Senate (Age ≤ 35)
| Name | District | Birth Year (Age on Election Day 2024) | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Dora E. Drake (D) | District 4 — Milwaukee, WI | 1993 (Age 31) | 2024 |
 |
Romaine Robert Quinn (R) | District 25 — Chetek, WI | 1990 (Age 34) | 2022 |
Photos courtesy of the Wisconsin Senate Member Roster.
Partisanship in the Wisconsin State Senate
In the Wisconsin State Senate, 18 senators are Republicans, and 15 are Democrats. The mean age of Democratic state senators after the 2024 election was 53.62, while the mean age of Republican state senators was 53.68. Each generation has a different partisan makeup; overall, the Wisconsin State Senate is overwhelmingly composed of Baby Boomers and Generation X. Below is the breakdown of party composition by generation in the Wisconsin State Senate.
Gender in the Wisconsin Senate
The generational makeup of the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Senate
The racial and ethnic composition of the Wisconsin Senate shows generational variation. The table below presents the distribution by generation.
Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the Wisconsin Senate
| Ethnicity | Millennial Generation 1981–1996 |
Generation X 1965–1980 |
Boomer Generation 1946–1964 |
Silent Generation 1928–1945 |
Full Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black/African American | 2 (40%) | 1 (5%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (9.09%) |
| White/Caucasian | 3 (60%) | 19 (95%) | 7 (100%) | 1 (100%) | 30 (90.91%) |
| Total | 5 (15.15%) | 20 (60.61%) | 7 (21.21%) | 1 (3.03%) | 33 (100%) |
The full Wisconsin State Senate comprises 33 seats.
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 Wisconsin, 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, Adil Khan
Year: 2024
Title: Age in the 2025 Wisconsin General Assembly