The 117th U.S. Congress

The 117th Congress was elected on November 3, 2020. The new legislative period began on January 3, 2021 and ended in January 2023. 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 0 vacancies at the time of writing.

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 117th House of Representatives

Generations in the 117th House of Representatives

  • the median age of Representatives was 58 years
  • the youngest Representative was born in 1995
  • the oldest Representative was born in 1933
  • 32 Representatives were Millennials
  • 12 Representatives were Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger

Partisanship in the 117th House of Representatives

In the 117th House, 225 Representatives belonged to the Democratic Party and 213 Representatives were Republicans. The median age of Democratic Representatives at the time of the election was 60. The median age of Republican Representatives at the time of the election was 57.

Generations by Party in the 117th House

Young Elected Representatives in the Democratic Party

Name Birth year Year first elected to Congress
Josh Harder 1986 2018
Lauren Underwood 1986 2018
Jake Auchincloss 1988 2020
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 1989 2018
Ritchie Torres 1988 2020
Mondaire Jones 1987 2020
Sara Jacobs 1989 2020

Young Elected Representatives in the Republican Party

Name Birth year Year first elected to Congress
Lauren Boebert 1986 2020
Kat Cammack 1988 2020
Jake LaTurner 1988 2020
Peter Meijer 1988 2020
Madison Cawthorn 1995 2020

Gender in the 117th House of Representatives

In the 117th House, 28.08 percent of Representatives were female and 71.92 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 58.

Of 12 Young Elected Leaders, 5 were female and 7 male.

Generations by Gender in the 117th House of Representatives

Race and Ethnicity in the 117th House of Representatives

Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the 117th House

Boomer Generation Generation X Millennial Generation Silent Generation
American Indian/Alaska Native 3 2 0 0
Asian 5 3 2 1
Black/African American 26 11 4 10
Hispanic/Latinx 16 16 1 2
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 1 1 0 0
Other/More than One Ethnicity 4 8 2 0
White 177 104 23 15

The 117th Senate

Generations in the 117th Senate

  • the median age of Senators was 64.5 years
  • the youngest Senator was born in 1987
  • the oldest Senator was born in 1933
  • 1 Senator was a Millennial
  • 1 Senator was a Young Elected Leader age 35 or younger

Partisanship in the 117th Senate

In the 117th Senate, 48 Senators belonged to the Democratic Party and 50 Senators were Republicans. The median age of Democratic Senators at the time of the election was 62.5. The median age of Republican Senators at the time of the election was 65.

Generations by Party in the 117th Senate

Young Elected Senators in the Democratic Party

Name Birth year Year first elected to Congress
Jon Ossoff 1987 2021

Young Elected Senators in the Republican Party

There were no Young Elected Leaders from the Republican Party in the Senate.

Gender in the 117th Senate

In the 117th Senate, 24.00 percent of Senators were female and 76.00 percent male. The median age of female Senators at the time of the election was 63. The median age of male Senators at the time of the election was 65.

The one Young Elected Leader in the Senate was male.

Generation by Gender in the 117th Senate

Race and Ethnicity in the 117th Senate

Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the 117th Senate

Boomer Generation Generation X Millennial Generation Silent Generation
Asian 1 1 0 0
Black/African American 0 3 0 0
Hispanic/Latinx 2 4 0 0
White 65 12 1 11

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 March 2021.

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 117th U.S. Congress