The 119th U.S. Congress
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The 119th Congress was elected on November 5, 2024. The new legislative period will begin on January 3, 2025 and will end in January 3 2027. 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. As of writing one house race remain uncalled (CA-13th) and another is vacant (FL-1st)
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 119th House of Representatives
- the median age of Representatives is 58.63 years
- the youngest Representative was born in 1997
- the oldest Representative was born in 1936
- 68 Representatives are Millennials
- 12 Representatives are Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger
Generational Breakdown
Within the 119th Congress the vast majority (nearly 2/3rds) of Representatives come from Generation X or the Baby Boom generation. Millennials and Gen-Z roughly account for the remaining 1/3rd of Representatives in the House. In total, 12 members of the US House of Representatives are 35 or younger, below is information about these young members.
Partisanship in the 119th House of Representatives
In the 119th House, the median age of Democratic Representatives at the time of the election was 58. The median age of Republican Representatives at the time of the election was 57. In total, 12 members of the newly elected House of Representatives were age 35 or under as of Election Day 2024. Six are Republicans and 6 are Democrats.
Young Elected Representatives – Republican Party
| Name | District | Birth Year
(Age on Election Day) |
Year First
Elected to Congress |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Addison McDowell | North Carolina – 6th | 1994 (Age 30) | 2024 |
|
Brandon Gill | Texas – 26th | 1994 (Age 30) | 2024 |
|
Abraham Hamadeh | Arizona – 8th | 1991 (Age 33) | 2024 |
|
Rob Bresnahan | Pennsylvania – 8th | 1990 (Age 34) | 2024 |
|
Anna Luna | Florida – 13th | 1989 (Age 35) | 2022 |
|
Max Miller | Ohio – 7th | 1988 (Age 35) | 2022 |
Young Elected Representatives – Democratic Party
| Name | District | Birth year
(Age on Election Day) |
Year first
elected to Congress |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Maxwell Frost | Florida – 10th | 1997 (Age 27) | 2022 |
 |
Yassamin Ansari | Arizona – 3rd | 1992 (Age 32) | 2024 |
 |
Sarah McBride | Delaware – At Large | 1990 (Age 34) | 2024 |
 |
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | New York – 14th | 1989 (Age 35) | 2018 |
 |
Greg Casar | Texas 35th | 1989 (Age 35) | 2022 |
 |
Sara Jacobs | California 51st | 1988 (Age 35) | 2022 |
Gender in the 119th House of Representatives
In the 119th House, 28.12 percent of Representatives are female and 71.51 percent male. The median age of female Representatives at the time of the election was 58.04 The median age of male Representatives at the time of the election was 58.68.
Of the 12 Young Elected Leaders, 5 are female, 7 male.
Race and Ethnicity in the 119th House of Representatives
Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the 119th House
| Boomer Generation | Generation X | Generation Z | Millennial Generation | Silent Generation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asian/Pacific American/Native Hawaiian | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Black/African American | 20 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 8 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 14 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| More than One Ethnicity | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| White | 128 | 133 | 0 | 43 | 9 |
The 119th Senate
- the median age of Senators is 63.63 years
- the youngest Senator is Jon Ossoff (D-GA) who was born in 1987
- the oldest Senator is Charles Grassley (R-IA) who was born in 1933
- 5 Senators are Millennials
Young Elected Senators in the 119th Congress
In the 119th United States Senate no members are currently 35 years old or younger. Among all United States Senators, two are under the age of 40. One Republican and One Democrat, their information is below.
| Name | State | Birth Year
(Age on Election Day) |
Year First
Elected to the Senate |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Jon Ossof (D) | Georgia | 1987 (Age 37) | 2020 |
 |
Tim Sheehy (R) | Montana | 1985 (Age 38) | 2024 |
Partisanship in the 119th Senate
In the 119th Senate, 53 Senators belong to the Republican Party, and 47 Senators are Democrats ( this includes 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats). The median age of Republican Senators at the time of the election was 63.22. The median age of Democratic Senators at the time of the election was 63.31.
Gender in the 119th Senate
Race and Ethnicity in the 119th Senate
Generations by Race/Ethnicity in the 119th Senate
| Boomer Generation | Generation X | Millennial Generation | Silent Generation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Asian | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Black/African American | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| White | 58 | 16 | 4 | 6 |
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 November 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: The 119th U.S. Congress