The recent 2022 midterm elections brought an extraordinary upset, breaking all expectations for a “Red Wave” to wash over the country. Unexpectedly, Democrats gained many more seats than expected, with important victories in many states.

However, something more important happened in the tenth congressional district of Florida. The democratic candidate Maxwell Frost beat Calvin Wimbish to become the first Gen Z representative in congress. At only the age of 25, he gained 117,745 votes with a major 59% of the vote.

For a government body that is often criticized for an aged and out of touch perspective, this could be an extreme and refreshing start, to see such a large part of our populace (Gen Z and Millennials) finally finding representation from someone who grew up in the exact same timeframe.

There is a large movement in the younger generations to remove old ideas and dated thinking out of government and replace them with more progressive ones. This is deeply related to the more democratic leaning youth, focusing on repelling the conservatives who fill both Gen X and the baby boomer generations.

Culturally, this can indicate a major shift, and many are already advocating for a limit of age on government positions, alongside more politicians who strive for relatability to gather the important younger generations’ votes. 

It’s simple to understand that many recumbent positions will most likely be lost in the coming years through lack of understanding and goodwill with the Gen Z and Millennials. 

Or, maybe, it could possibly lead to a much more equal and agreeable government, with Maxwell Frost himself advocating for bipartisanship, saying in a CBS news interview that, “For me, it’s less about older versus younger and this and that,” showing how the generational divide may lead to more issues than solutions.