Maxwell Alejandro Frost Elected as First Gen Z Member of Congress

The Associated Press projects the 25-year-old easily won his race for Florida's District 10, which includes Orlando

By 

Virginia Chamlee

 

 

Published on November 8, 2022 

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Maxwell Frost. PHOTO: STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE VIA GETTY

Florida House candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost made history Tuesday, becoming the first member of Generation Z to be elected to Congress.

The Associated Press projects Frost easily won his race for Florida's District 10 — which includes Orlando — with early estimates showing he had received nearly 59% of the vote to Republican Calvin Wimbish's 40%.

In a Tweet sent after his race was called, Frost noted "history was made," writing: "We made history for Floridians, for Gen Z, and for everyone who believes we deserve a better future. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to represent my home in the United States Congress."

Twenty-five-year-old Frost is a Democrat, activist and former Uber driver who was heavily favored to win in the general election after clinching the party's nomination in a primary in August.

 From Uber Driver to House Frontrunner, Maxwell Frost Is Committed to Giving Gen Z a Seat at the Table

Speaking to PEOPLE in September, Frost spoke of his age as being not an obstacle but an advantage, in politics.

"What we're finding more and more, our generation is gonna have the most jobs in a lifetime than other times in history," Frost said at the time. "[Members of Gen Z] move around jobs a lot, we will own the least amount of assets and property, we carry the most personal debt."

Frost campaigned on a platform of meeting challenges affecting his peers, such as gun violence and rising housing costs.

"I don't think young people [on either political side] are interested in different issues — we all want resources, opportunities ... we want our friends and people we've never met before to enjoy their lives," he told PEOPLE. "We think about things like, 'How do we protect each other? How do we build a government that protects the most vulnerable?'"

New Hampshire House candidate Karoline Leavitt, a 25-year-old Republican and former Trump White House aide, was another Gen Z candidate who made headlines leading up to the midterms. Leavitt defeated Matt Mowers, a better-funded establishment Republican, in the September GOP primary, securing the nomination by emulating Trump's political style and more openly aligning with the former president.

She faces Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in the general election, a race that could make her the youngest woman elected to Congress. As of press time, she was not projected to win, though results were still being counted.

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