The 116th U.S. Congress

The 116th Congress was elected on November 6, 2018. The new legislative period began on January 3, 2019 and ended in January 2021. There are 435 members in the U.S. House of Representatives and 100 members in the U.S. Senate. The minimum age to be eligible as member of the House is 25. Senators must be at least 30 years old. There were 4 vacancies at the time of data collection.

Demographic Background

According to the Pew Research Center, based on data from the U.S. Census, Millennials have become the largest generation in the United States, with about 31 percent. The second largest generation are Baby Boomers (30.88 percent). About 28 percent of the U.S. population belong to Generation X. The smallest generation is the Silent Generation (9.91 percent).

The 116th House of Representatives

Generations in the 116th House

  • the median age of Representatives was 58 years
  • the youngest Representative was born in 1989
  • the oldest Representative was born in 1933
  • 27 Representatives were Millennials
  • 18 Representatives were Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger

Partisanship in the 116th House of Representatives

In the 116th House, 237 Representatives belonged to the Democratic Party and 199 Representatives were Republicans. The median age of Democratic Representatives at the time of the election was 59. The median age of Republican Representatives at the time of the election was 57.

Generations by Party in the 116th House

Young Elected Representatives in the Democratic Party

Name Birth year Year first elected to Congress
Josh Harder 1986 2018
Kathrine Hill 1987 2018
Joe Neguse 1984 2018
Abby Finkenauer 1988 2018
Lauren Underwood 1986 2018
Max Rose 1986 2018
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 1989 2018
Conor Lamb 1984 2018
Colin Allred 1983 2018
Xochitl Torres Small 1984 2018
Haley Stevens 1983 2018

Young Elected Representatives in the Republican Party

Name Birth year Year first elected to Congress
Trey Hollingsworth 1983 2016
Elise Stefanik 1984 2014
Anthony Gonzalez 1984 2018
Guy Reschenthaler 1983 2018
William Timmons 1984 2018
Daniel Crenshaw 1984 2018
Mike Gallagher 1984 2016

Gender in the 116th House of Representatives

In the 116th House, 24.26 percent of Representatives were female and 75.74 percent male. The median age of female Representatives at the time of the election was 58. The median age of male Representatives at the time of the election was 57.

Of 18 Young Elected Leaders, 7 were female and 11 male.

Generations and Gender in the 116th House

Race and Ethnicity in the 116th House of Representatives

Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the 116th House

Boomer Generation Generation X Millennial Generation Silent Generation
American Indian/Alaska Native 2 2 0 0
Asian 3 3 2 1
Black/African American 28 10 3 10
Hispanic/Latinx 14 16 2 3
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 1 0 1 0
Other/More than One Ethnicity 1 6 1 1
White 187 100 18 22

The 116th Senate

Generations in the 116th Senate

  • the median age of Senators was 63 years
  • the youngest Senator was born in 1979
  • the oldest Senator was born in 1933
  • 0 Senators were Millennials
  • 0 Senators were Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger

Partisanship in the 116th Senate

In the 116th Senate, 45 Senators belonged to the Democratic Party and 53 Senators were Republicans. The median age of Democratic Senators at the time of the election was 62. The median age of Republican Senators at the time of the election was 63.

Generations by Party in the 116th Senate

Gender in the 116th Senate

In the 116th Senate, 26.00 percent of Senators were female and 74.00 percent male. The median age of female Senators at the time of the election was 60. The median age of male Senators at the time of the election was 64.

Generations by Gender in the 116th Senate

Race and Ethnicity in the 116th Senate

Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the 116th Senate

Boomer Generation Generation X Silent Generation
Asian 1 1 0
Black/African American 0 2 0
Hispanic/Latinx 2 2 0
Other/More than One Ethnicity 1 0 0
White 62 15 14

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 August 2020.

Citation Guideline

Please reference the project and center in any publication.

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 Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.”

Bibliographic Citation For this document

Author: Young Elected Leaders Project

Corresponding Authors: Brit Anlar and Isabel Köhler

Year: 2023

Title: The 116th U.S. Congress